Naruto: Love in the Time of Ninja
by EMR-one7
Summary: Naruto AR (Alternate Reality) - This story is a sequel to my other story Naruto: Together Again. Summary: After Naruto and Sakura recover from their checkered past, they find themselves growing closer to each other. As time passes by, the two must decide if pursuing a relationship is worth risking what they already have.
1. Friends

**IMPORTANT READER INFO:**

If you're reading this fanfic, you should know that it is a sequel to my other story Naruto: Together Again. You can read that story before reading this one, but if you choose not to, that is fine. I think that you can still get the general gist of this story, but just know that you will not understand some of the references to events that took place in the previous story. There are also some divergences from the canon that have been explained in the other story as well.

**Explaining Naruto's Six Paths Healing Powers In This Story:**

In this story (And the one before it), Naruto can heal using his Six Paths powers, but I have modeled it based on what I've seen him do in canon. He seems to be able to prevent further damage and recreate what was already there. In other words, he is limited to healing by recreation. This is why he can heal deep wounds (by recreating the torn flesh), but not necessarily internal wounds where nothing has been destroyed but rather damaged. I don't think he can purely heal any and all injuries. I could be wrong, but even if I am, I am sticking with this setup. I think that if Naruto has the full skill set of a medic, it gives him too much power.

* * *

Ch. 1

"You here to finish torturing me for the day, Forehead?..."

Sakura gave a slight eyeroll at the middle-aged man's antics. He had been wanting to get out of the hospital for some time, but he had recently suffered a heart attack and without Sakura's clean bill of health he wasn't going anywhere. He had made it a habit of saying things that got on her nerves in the hopes of getting released early. He had grown fond of Ino's usual nickname for her and used it quite often. It was all in good fun when Ino called her forehead, but it bothered her a little when others said it. She had long gotten over her forehead size, but it was still a little annoying to be referred to based on it.

As Sakura got to work, she checked his IV drip and said, "I love all the names you keep giving me…" She raised an eyebrow and said, "Maybe I'll extend your stay here…"

As soon as she said that, the man quickly turned to her and said, "You can't do that, I'm already in the best shape of my life!" He sat up straight then raised both of his arms in a combative stance and said, "Just look at these pythons!"

Sakura let out a semi-annoyed smile and said, "I see them…"

The man gave a curious glance then slowly said, "Then am I clear to go?..."

Sakura shook her head and said, "Not yet, but I think you'll be clear by tomorrow…"

The man dropped his eyes then crossed his arms and let his body fall back into the bed while grumbling.

Sakura gave him a pitiful stare then said, "Don't worry, you'll be out soon…" She continued in a softer voice and said, "I'm sorry. I understand you wanna get out, but if I let you out and everything's not ok, you'll probably just have to come back again." The man thought about it for a second, then grumbled to himself as he relaxed into the bed.

As Sakura stepped out of the room, she let out a small sigh. She understood more than anyone not wanting to be in the hospital, but she had to make sure everything was ok before letting him go. The last thing she needed was for him to have to come back due to complications. She left the man's paperwork in a small file organizer by the door, then walked over to Tsunade who was standing behind a counter a few feet away.

Tsunade examined Sakura and said, "You look a little tired… Patients giving you trouble again?"

Sakura smiled and said, "It's nothing I'm not used to…" as she started going through some paperwork on the counter. She had a lot on her plate since she was now acting as the head medic at the hospital. It had been around two weeks since Hikan was caught so ANBU missions were scarce. As a result, Tsunade had recently appointed her to act as the head medic of Konoha's hospital.

As Sakura started to ruffle through the papers, Tsunade looked at a clock that was on the wall to check the time. 12:12 PM. Sakura was supposed to go on break at noon, but Tsunade had noticed that she had a knack for working overtime.

While Sakura was going through the papers, Tsunade quickly snatched them out of her hand and set them down on the counter. Sakura quickly looked up and said, "Hey!"

Tsunade dropped her eyes and said, "Take a break..." as she motioned towards the clock. Sakura turned and saw that it was now 12 minutes past her break time. Her eyes slightly widened as she realized that she must have lost track of time as she saw all of her different patients. She kept staring at the clock and said, "I didn't even notice the time…"

Tsunade let out a small chuckle and said, "That'll happen often while you're working here…"

Sakura gave a small smile and said, "I can imagine."

She thought to herself for a second, then wore a small smile as she started quickly preparing to go on her break.

Tsunade watched Sakura with a little bit of suspicion. Usually she would try to stay and work a little more before going on break, but for some reason, she seemed like she was almost happy that she was about to go on break. As Tsunade watched her bustling about, she asked, "What's up?"

Sakura turned to her and asked, "What do you mean?"

Tsunade nonchalantly shrugged and innocently said, "Most of the time you try to minimize your breaks, but today you're practically glowing. Got somewhere to be?..."

Sakura inwardly groaned at Tsunade's prying. It was kind of her own fault for looking so gleeful in the first place, but it was still annoying. She busied herself with the paperwork and said in as normal of a voice as she could muster, "Yeah. Sometimes I meet up with Naruto on my lunch breaks."

All of the innocence Tsunade was feigning evaporated as she leaned towards Sakura then raised an eyebrow and said, "Ohhh…"

Sakura made a concentrated effort to stop the blood rushing to her cheeks then turned and asked, "What?" She was already sure she knew what, but she tried to act like she was oblivious to Tsunade's antics. It made escaping from these conversations a lot easier.

Tsunade closed her eyes then lifted her head to the side and said, "Nothing. It's just that you two spend a lot of time together…"

Sakura shrugged and said, "That's what friends do."

Tsunade opened her eyes then said, "Let me rephrase that. You two spend a _whoooole_ lot of time together…"

Sakura quickly finished ordering the paperwork and ignored what she knew Tsunade was implying. She quickly ended the conversation by saying, "Sorry, don't wanna be any more late than I already am." She gave a small wave as she almost ran out of the hospital. The last thing she needed was Tsunade bugging her about things between her and Naruto. Right now she was just glad to have him back as a friend. No need to rush into something and risk making things awkward between them. Despite that, she had to admit that she looked forward to whenever they were going to spend time together.

* * *

Naruto wore a semi-smug grin as he stood on the training ground opposite Konohamaru. He looked across the field and yelled, "Begin!" as he did the hand sign for the shadow clone jutsu.

Konohamaru smiled then jumped off the ground and did a series of hand signs. He looked down towards Naruto then yelled out, "Fire Style: Burning Ash!" He took in a huge gulp of breath, then let out a huge gust of gunpowder that covered the training ground in a thick fog.

Naruto let out a small chuckle. He was used to this jutsu by now so he was waiting for Konohamaru to ignite the gunpowder. It should be simple enough to dodge after that. After a second had passed, he noticed that the gunpowder still hadn't been ignited. It was just covering the battlefield. He looked in the direction Konohamaru had jumped in and realized he could barely see anything in front of him. All at once he saw hundreds of shuriken flying towards him. "OW!" As several shuriken cut him, he started trying to dodge them and said, "That sneaky little…"

As he tried to dodge them, he realized that he was getting hurt more and more since he couldn't see through the gunpowder. He let out an annoyed grunt and said, "I gotta get outta this smoke."

He jumped straight up out of the smoke and saw Konohamaru a few feet above him with a rasengan. Konohamaru smiled and said, "Rasengan!" Naruto saved himself by quickly charging up his own rasengan. As the two rasengans collided, the wind they put out completely dispersed of the gunpowder that had been clouding the field.

As the two landed a few feet from each other, Naruto thought to himself for a second, then looked over to Konohamaru and said, "Not bad…You knew that I'd expect you to light the gunpowder, so instead of lighting it, you used it as a smokescreen so that I wouldn't see you use the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Konohamaru smiled as he looked at Naruto's mildly scarred body. His healing factor had already kicked in, but Konohamaru was proud to have done some damage. He let out a sly smile then rubbed his nose and said, "It worked…"

Naruto smiled and said, "Then let's kick it up a notch…" He closed his eyes as his eyelids turned a distinct orange color. Konohamaru looked at him with a small squint and said, "Sage mode, huh?..."

Naruto opened his eyes and said, "That's right."

Konohamaru took his fighting stance and said, "Bring it."

Naruto smiled and said, "You might regret that…" He jumped forward and immediately closed the gap to initiate hand-to-hand combat. Konohamaru tried to keep up, but Naruto was moving a lot faster and his punches were a lot heavier. After taking a few heavy hits, Konohamaru decided to kick off of Naruto to gain some distance. He saw Naruto throw a marked kunai towards the ground at his feet. Konohamaru quickly hid one hand behind his back and started charging up a rasengan. As soon as Naruto teleported, Konohamaru brought his hand forward and said, "BIG BALL RASENGAN!" Naruto twisted to the side to quickly dodge it. As he started recovering his balance, he saw Konohamaru coming at him with rasengans in both hands. Konohamaru said, "You wanted to fight hand-to-hand…Then let's go…" Naruto started dodging the rasengans with great care. He let out a smile and said, "That's what I'm talking about…"

After dodging a few more swipes, Naruto jumped back and said, "Ok..." He closed his eyes as his body was engulfed in an orange chakra. He entered the most basic form of KCM then wore a curious smirk and said, "What will you do now?..."

As Konohamaru stood across from Naruto in KCM, he took a hard gulp and said, "I got this…" He started trying to come up with a strategy, but he was drawing a blank. After a few more seconds had passed, he whispered to himself, "Maybe I don't got this….."

He always wondered what it would be like to face Naruto in KCM, but now that he was standing opposite him, the difference in power was staggering. Not only that, he was pretty sure Naruto had been seriously holding back throughout their training session.

As Konohamaru tried to steady himself, a multitude of sweatdrops started running down the side of his face. The sheer amount of chakra coming from Naruto was enough to put him far past being on edge.

Naruto looked at him and noticed how unsettled he was. He thought to himself for a second then yelled across the terrain, "Remember, no shortcuts!…"

Konohamaru thought about it for a bit, then regained his resolve and gave a determined nod. The sheer magnitude of who he was facing was enough to throw him off, but fortunately, Naruto was looking out for him.

After a few seconds, Konohamaru fully took his fighting stance then smiled and said, "Ready when you are…"

Naruto smiled and said under his breath, "That's more like it…"

A small leaf slowly fell towards the ground. It swayed back and forth until finally landing in the grassy terrain. As soon as it hit the ground, Konohamaru started doing a series of hand signs. To his shock, Naruto immediately appeared in front of him and disrupted his jutsu by starting to fight hand-to-hand. Konohamaru struggled to try to keep up, but it was no use. He took a series of punishing blows to his face and his body before being knocked a good distance away by one of Naruto's kicks.

Konohamaru looked up and saw that Naruto was running towards him. He quickly did a series of hand signs and said, "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!" He inhaled then spewed out a stream of fire in Naruto's direction. The fire took on the form of a dragon and quickly started attacking Naruto from multiple directions. As Naruto dodged it, he could feel the shear heat it was emitting. He definitely couldn't let it touch him. As he continued to dodge it he noticed that it was starting to evaporate. After a few more seconds, he looked down and saw that Konohamaru was still trying to keep the jutsu alive, but it was fading fast. Naruto saw his opportunity and immediately flew to the ground. He tripped Konohamaru so that he fell to the floor then stopped short of punching him square in the face. Konohamaru looked up wide eyed as he saw Naruto's balled up fist around an inch from his face. After a few seconds, Naruto's KCM evaporated and he opened his balled up fist to extend a helping hand towards Konohamaru. He let out a small smile and said, "I think that's enough for today."

After a few seconds, Konohamaru finally recovered from his shock. He let out an audible grunt of pain as he grabbed Naruto's hand to try to get up.

Naruto looked at Konohamaru's seriously injured body and said, "Maybe I went a little too far…"

Konohamaru was out of breath but he finally got to his feet and said, "No, you didn't…" He looked down at his scrunched fist and said, "No shortcuts."

Naruto paused for a second, then wore a proud smile and said, "No shortcuts…" He put one hand on his chin, then looked at Konohamaru wide eyed and said, "That was a pretty cool jutsu! When did you learn it?"

Konohamaru smiled then said, "I've been working on it for a while, but I still haven't completely mastered it yet."

Naruto enthusiastically said, "It looks like your pretty close though. If you keep mastering jutsu like that, you'll be a Jonin in no time!"

Konohamaru gave a slick smile and said, "And then I'll be Hokage…"

Naruto registered what he said, then squinted and said, "Nice try, runt…but I'm gonna be Hokage…"

Konohamaru let out a small chuckle. He already knew Naruto would probably be Hokage before him, but he enjoyed bothering him about it occasionally. He always thought it was funny how serious Naruto got whenever someone talked about becoming Hokage before him.

The two walked over to some nearby rocks and sat down as Naruto started trying to use his Six Paths powers to heal Konohamaru. Konohamaru thought to himself for a second, then turned to Naruto and asked, "Why were you holding back today?" Usually, whenever they trained together, Naruto wouldn't hold back at all. It was his way of pushing him to be the best he could be, but today Konohamaru could tell that he wasn't as aggressive as usual.

Naruto unconsciously wore a small smile and replied, "I'm meeting up with Sakura-chan on her lunch break. I didn't want to get sweaty."

Konohamaru thought about it then teasingly said, "Ohhhhhh… So you can't be sweaty if you're meeting with 'Sakura-chan'?…"

Naruto started looking up nonchalantly and said, "It's not that. I don't wanna be sweaty meeting anyone…"

Konohamaru smiled and said, "_Riiiight_…" He was obviously unconvinced and said, "So how come you don't hold back when you're meeting someone like Sasuke?..."

Naruto tried to maintain his composure by coolly shrugging, but found himself at a loss for words. He looked up and said, "Because- Because…uhhh…"

Konohamaru started laughing wildly as Naruto entered an unusually flustered state. After a few seconds, Naruto hit him upside the head and said, "Shut it, twerp!"

"Ow!" Konohamaru kept laughing and said, "Aren't you supposed to be healing me?"

Naruto gave a low growl and said, "I'm reconsidering that…"

Konohamaru smiled and said, "But you're the one who injured me."

Naruto retorted, "And now I'm considering leaving you that way."

Konohamaru wore a devious smile and said, "For someone who claims not to have any special feelings towards Sakura you sure are getting worked up…"

As Naruto's cheeks started turning a light pink, he said, "I am not!" After a short pause, he said, "You're even more annoying than Sasuke…"

Konohamaru laughed for a bit then decided to finally stop teasing Naruto. He grew serious and asked, "How's he doing?"

Naruto was more than happy to switch subjects so he quickly replied, "He's still coming to grips with the fact that Orochimaru wanted him to be the liaison between us and the Sound, but he's doing fine."

Konohamaru shook his head and said, "I still can't believe Orochimaru wants to join the Shinobi Union." After pausing for a second, he turned to Naruto and said, "You think he wants to join for the right reasons?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "I'm not sure, but he said that after the incident with the Sound and the Hot Water he was impressed with shinobi progress. Maybe he's actually interested."

Konohamaru tilted his head and said, "Maybe… In any case, when is Sasuke gonna be back?"

Naruto thought about it then said, "Last I heard from him, he said that he'd be back today."

"Oh ok."

As the two sat there, Naruto looked at Konohamaru's body and noticed he was still in considerably bad shape. Whenever he tried to heal people using his Six Paths powers, it felt like he was playing a guessing game. Sometimes he'd almost completely heal them, and sometimes he wouldn't even get close.

He let out an annoyed grunt and said, "This isn't working too well…" He thought to himself for a second, then said, "Sakura-chan is meeting me here. I'm sure she won't mind fixing you up."

Konohamaru chuckled then said, "Didn't she say she wouldn't keep helping you pummel me?..."

Naruto thought about it and said, "Oh yeah, she did say that…" He looked up then turned back to Konohamaru with a wide smile and said, "Let's hope she forgot…"

Konohamaru smiled and said, "I doubt it…"

…

As the two waited, Naruto found himself growing more and more impatient. He checked the time using a small pocket watch he had been carrying with him. 12:23 PM. He let out a small sigh and said, "She should be here by now."

Konohamaru stared at nowhere in particular and sarcastically said, "Maybe she stood you up…"

Naruto shook his head and said, "No way. She'll be here. Sometimes she just gets held up at the hospital."

Konohamaru cracked his neck and said, "Gotcha."

As they sat there waiting, Konohamaru watched Naruto fidget around with everything from tree branches to pebbles. He could tell that despite being older, Naruto was still hyperactive and sitting around doing nothing was one of the things he still couldn't bear to do. It was actually quite ironic that he had changed in some ways but remained virtually the same in others.

After they had waited a little longer, they finally saw Sakura walking up to the training ground. Naruto stood up and said, "There you are!"

Sakura wore a small smile and replied, "Sorry I'm late. Sometimes I just lose track of time when I'm working at the hospital."

Naruto turned to Konohamaru and said, "Told you so."

Sakura looked confused and said, "Told you so?"

Naruto gave a small smile as he rubbed the back of his head and said, "It's not that important…"

Sakura eyed him suspiciously and said, "Ok…then let's get going."

Naruto let out an uncomfortable chuckle then turned to Konohamaru and said, "Actually, I was wondering if you could patch up Konohamaru… My Six Paths powers aren't cutting it…"

Sakura looked at Konohamaru and noticed that he was in pretty bad shape. It looked like he might even have some broken bones. She turned back to Naruto and said in an exasperated voice, "Again?..."

Naruto slowly gulped and stuttered out, "It's not as bad as last time…"

Sakura dropped her eyes and said, "That's not the point…"

Naruto could see that he wasn't making any progress and that if he kept arguing he wasn't going to make any. Time for Plan B. He looked towards Sakura then made the most endearing face he could muster and said, "_Pleeeeeeaaase, Sakura-chan."_

As she looked at him, she resolved herself not to fall for his games. He couldn't just get away with things because of those lovable blue eyes of his. She turned away and closed her eyes so that she couldn't see his face and said, "No. I'm not falling for that again…"

As she stood there with her eyes closed, she felt a small puff of breath on her face. She opened one eye to see that Naruto was now a few inches away from her face making the same face he was making before. He used a voice that was even more mellow than before and said, "_Pleeeeeaaassseee, Sakura-chan…_"

As Sakura looked at him, she just wanted to close that one eye she had open and beat him at his own game. Or maybe slap him upside the head for good measure, but those soft blue eyes were too inviting… Not only that, she always thought it was funny how he could be so manipulative when he wanted something. She knew it was all part of his game, but she found herself just wanting to play along. After looking at those crystal blue eyes for a few more seconds, she finally caved in. She slowly opened her other eye and said, "Fine…" then muttered, "Baka…"

Naruto let out one of his wide, eye-closed smiles and said, "Alright!" Sakura shook her head as she started healing Konohamaru. Sometimes she felt like Naruto could get her to do just about anything, especially with those ocean blue eyes he had. Normally, the thought of someone having that much of an influence on her would be unsettling, but it just felt like Naruto was someone she could trust. He might be an idiot sometimes, but he was a likable idiot.

After she finished patching up Konohamaru, she turned to Naruto and said, "Just take it easy next time…"

Naruto gave a wide smile and said, "You got it, and thanks again Sakura-chan!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow and replied, "You're welcome… Can we go now?"

Naruto said, "Of course!" then turned to Konohamaru and said, "See ya later." Konohamaru gave a small wave and said, "See ya."

* * *

Naruto and Sakura were now walking through the village at a slightly heightened pace. Since they had got a late start, they decided to move a bit faster than usual. Naruto was walking with his hands behind his head while Sakura kept her arms behind her back.

As they were walking, Sakura started thinking about Naruto's training sessions with Konohamaru. It was starting to feel like Konohamaru was seriously injured almost every time him and Naruto trained together. She turned to Naruto and inquisitively asked, "Why are you so rough with Konohamaru?"

Naruto replied almost instinctively and said, "Because he's strong…and he wants to get stronger. The only reason I'm so tough on him is because he wouldn't have it any other way. He's kinda like me. I wouldn't want anyone to take it easy on me just because I was a kid, so I don't take it easy on him." He looked up with a glint of pride and said, "Since I started training him, I haven't let him land a single blow. Today he was able to actually cut me up some, and because I don't go easy on him, he knows it's not because I wasn't trying, but because he's _really_ improving."

As Sakura took in his reply, she looked at him with a sense of admiration. She knew that he had to have some reason for being rough with Konohamaru, but after hearing his explanation face to face, she could see that it was a lot deeper than she thought. He saw a bit of himself in Konohamaru. He was just treating him how he would want to be treated. She slowly looked away and said, "I understand."

Naruto looked at her with inquisitive eyes and said, "Really?"

Sakura replied, "Yeah. You just see a bit of yourself in him, so you treat him how you'd want to be treated."

Naruto enthusiastically said, "You do understand Sakura-chan!"

Sakura gave him a small elbow to the side and said, "What? Did you think I was lying?..."

Naruto quickly replied, "Of course not..." then chuckled and said, "Maybe..."

Sakura just wore a small smile as she gave a slightly-annoyed eyeroll. By now she was used to Naruto's unorthodox sense of humor. She had even learned to appreciate it a bit.

As they walked a little farther, Naruto turned to Sakura and asked, "How are things at the hospital?"

Sakura gave a small smile and said, "They're fine. Sometimes things are tough, but it keeps me busy."

Naruto reassuringly said, "You can handle it."

Sakura gave a small smile and said, "Yeah I know. Sometimes it's just dealing with the patients that's tough."

Naruto questioningly asked, "Any of them in particular?"

Sakura gave a small smile then looked down and said, "There is this one patient… He wants to get out really badly, and he's really close to getting out, but he just can't take being in the hospital."

Naruto slowly shrugged and said, "Sometimes we don't really have a choice."

Sakura tilted her head and said, "Yeah, but I still feel bad for him though. I remember the last time I was in the hospital. Having you around along with the constant visits from everyone else made it much more bearable, but even then I couldn't wait to smell the sweet smell of freedom…and I was only in there for around a day."

Naruto chuckled and said, "We're talking about the hospital, Sakura-chan, not prison."

Sakura started laughing and said, "Yeah I guess you're right…but still, I hope we're able to finally release him tomorrow." Naruto nodded in agreement.

As they neared Ichiraku Ramen, Sakura noticed that Naruto didn't look like he had any intention of stopping. She looked at him half-confused and said, "We're about to pass Ichiraku's."

Naruto replied, "We ate there last time."

Sakura's eyes widened as she exclaimed, "Naruto Uzumaki is tired of ramen?!"

Naruto chuckled and said, "No way. I just know you like that tempura restaurant. We can't only go to places I like all the time, you know."

Sakura wore an affectionate smile at his thoughtfulness, but she knew that tempura place wasn't budget friendly. She gave a small smile and said, "That place isn't exactly cheap…"

Naruto smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. I've got plenty of money saved up from ANBU." He flashed one of his usual bright smiles and said, "Besides, you're worth it, Sakura-chan."

Sakura turned to the side to hide a rosy tint that had crept up to her cheeks. That idiot always had a way of making her feel special. After a little while, she smiled and quietly said, "Fine…" then nudged him and said, "…as long as you're paying…"

Naruto wore a wide smile and said, "No problem."

* * *

_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


	2. A Delicate State of Affairs

**_To the readers:_**

Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews! I appreciate it very, very much and I hope you all continue to enjoy the story!

Ch. 2

Naruto watched with a bit of intrigue as Sakura used her chopsticks to gracefully pick up a piece of shrimp tempura and dip it in some sauce before gracefully eating it. After a few seconds, she noticed him looking at her and said, "What is it?"

Naruto squinted and said, "You're so proper…" He picked up a piece of shrimp at random and chucked it into his mouth. He noticed that Sakura always ate in a more reserved manner, but he felt no such obligation to food.

After realizing what he was saying, Sakura pinched her lips and said, "You only think that because you're so improper…"

Naruto gave a wide smile and said, "Probably, but that's how it should be! It's food, not royalty."

Sakura wore a small smile as she rolled her eyes at his statement. He could start discussions over the stupidest things and be totally invested in them. Even though he was older, he still had a hint of that immaturity that he had lost a while back. In the past, she had found it to be a little annoying, but she was so used to it by now that it had become somewhat endearing. She wore a warm smile then looked across the table at him and said, "You eat your way, I'll eat mine."

Naruto wore a cheesy smile and said, "But my way is better." as he chucked another piece of shrimp into his mouth. Sakura rolled her eyes and finally decided to play his game. She delicately picked up a piece of shrimp before placing it in her mouth in the most elegant way possible. She turned to Naruto and said, "I beg to differ…"

Naruto let out a small chuckle at how forced her actions looked then said, "Just try it my way."

Sakura narrowed her eyes and said, "Fine, but you have to eat my way too."

Naruto shrugged and said, "Fine." He grabbed a piece of shrimp then held it out with a devious chuckle as he closed his eyes and said, "Ladies first…"

Sakura gave a poised smile and almost snatched it from him. If she was going to play this dumb game of his, she'd at least do it with conviction. She dipped the shrimp in the sauce then chucked it into her mouth and tried to focus on how it was different from how she usually ate. She found herself actually liking the subtle change from how she normally ate. It almost felt like there wasn't as much time to savor the food because the flavor hit her all at once. Now it made sense why Naruto ate like this. The way he ate matched his personality. It was a more 'in your face' way of eating. After she was done, she looked towards him and said, "It wasn't all that bad…"

Naruto wore a wide grin and said, "See! Told you so!"

Sakura cut him off by holding out a piece of tempura and said, "Your turn…"

Naruto grabbed the shrimp and mockingly imitated Sakura's more graceful style of eating. Sakura gave a slight eyeroll at his antics then waited for him to finish. After he was done, she inquisitively asked, "What did you think?"

He thought to himself for a second, then said, "I guess it's not bad."

Sakura said, "See! Maybe you should try eating like that a bit more…"

Naruto relaxed back into his chair and said, "Maybe…but it's not really my style. It fits you though."

Sakura gave a soft smile and said, "Yeah, I thought your style of eating fit you too."

After they had been eating for a while, Sakura examined Naruto's partially shredded uniform and said, "You should stop by later so I can patch that up."

Naruto looked down at his jumpsuit and saw that it had several tears from the shuriken that had cut him. He examined them a bit closer and said, "Yeah, I might take you up on that… If I'm gonna drop by, I need to know when you're gonna be done at the hospital."

Sakura thought to herself and said, "Actually, isn't Sasuke supposed to be back today?"

Naruto looked up to her and said, "Yeah, he is."

Sakura thought about it for a second then said, "I probably won't be able to see him today unless he stops by the hospital, so I'll just patch up your jumpsuit at your place. Hopefully he's back by then."

Naruto nodded and said, "If he is, I'll make sure he stays at the apartment."

Sakura thanked him then asked, "How's he been doing?"

Naruto chucked another piece of shrimp into his mouth and said, "He's been doing pretty good. He sent a message by hawk the other day and it looks like he's doing alright."

Sakura wore a small smile as she realized Naruto still had the annoying habit of talking with food in his mouth. She decided to ignore it for now and simply replied, "That's nice. Hopefully he gets back before nighttime."

Naruto finished the food in his mouth and said, "Yeah, last time I heard from him he said he was pretty close to being done with his business in the Sound. Knowing him, he'll just pop up sometime today…probably when I don't want him to…"

Sakura let out a small chuckle at that. There was no way Naruto wasn't looking forward to having Sasuke back around. The two could annoy each other out of their skin and sometimes they were both able to bring a bit of immaturity out of each other, but they were closer than brothers. Naruto had to be looking forward to Sasuke's return more than anyone else.

A few seconds later, Sakura felt a small buzz in her pocket. She reluctantly picked up her pager and saw that it was the hospital. They were calling her back for some reason. She checked the time and saw that it was 12:47 PM. She was planning on leaving around 12:55 so her break was almost over anyway, but she still didn't want to lose the few minutes she had left. She wished she could just ignore it, but she knew the hospital wouldn't call her unless it was important. She looked at the pager for a little longer then let out a small sigh and decided to head back.

Before she could even look up, Naruto wore a small smile and said, "Duty calls."

Sakura looked up with a sad smile and softly said, "Yeah…" It wasn't the first time she had to bail on him, and she knew it probably wouldn't be the last. It was comforting to know that Naruto understood her job, but she still hated having to leave while they hadn't even finished.

Naruto could tell she didn't really want to have to go, so he wore a small smile and nonchalantly said, "Don't let it bother you Sakura-chan. You're coming over later anyway."

As Sakura thought about it, she realized they would probably get to make up for lost time anyway. She wore a genuine smile and said, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Naruto could tell her spirits had been lifted so he wore a wide smile and said, "Cool! See ya later."

Sakura smiled and replied, "See you."

As she started heading towards the hospital, she couldn't help but steal one last glance at that knuckle-headed ninja teammate of hers. He acted like an idiot a lot of the time, but he could be really understanding when it counted.

Naruto longingly watched as Sakura disappeared out of sight before relaxing back into his chair and slowly eating a piece of shrimp with a warm smile.

"If you want her, why don't you go get her?..."

Naruto quickly turned around and saw that it was exactly who he thought it was. He quickly stood up and let out an overjoyed, "Sasuke!"

Sasuke wore a small smile as the two exchanged greetings. Before the two could get into any conversation, Sasuke decided he should make sure to take care of business. He looked at Naruto's nearly empty plate of food and said, "If you're done eating, I need to bring a report to Tsunade."

Naruto chucked the last piece of shrimp tempura into his mouth and said, "Yeah, I'm done here." He left the money for the food on the table as the two left the restaurant and started heading towards the Hokage's Office.

As the two walked towards the Hokage's Office, Naruto turned to Sasuke and said, "I didn't think you'd be back this early."

Sasuke remained blank faced and said in a monotone voice, "Surprise…"

Naruto let out a small chuckle and said, "You just got back and you're already back to being so- so-…"

Sasuke waited for Naruto to think of a word, but Naruto was drawing a blank so he just said, "Sasuke-like."

Sasuke wore a small smirk at that and asked, "That's the best you could come up with?"

Naruto looked a little indignant and poutingly said, "No…"

Sasuke could tell he was lying through his teeth, so he shook his head and said, "That was actually the best you could come up with... Loser…"

Naruto growled then squinted and said, "Supercilious!"

Sasuke turned to him and said, "What's that?"

Naruto beamed with pride and said, "That's the best I could come up with!" He had no idea what the word meant, but he was pretty sure he had heard someone call Sasuke that before. Hopefully whoever it was knew what they were talking about.

Sasuke squinted and said, "That's a pretty big word, Naruto… Sure you know what it means?..."

Naruto silently gulped and said, "Of course I know what it means…"

Sasuke wore a small smirk and said, "Then by all means, describe supercilious…"

Naruto went wide-eyed as he looked towards the sky and said, "Uh... Uhhh..."

Sasuke shook his head and firmly said, "Loser."

Naruto let out an annoyed grunt then turned to Sasuke with an eye squint and said, "You know, now that I think of it, I can actually describe it in two words..."

Sasuke let out a small snort. He had to hear this. He turned to Naruto and said, "Fine. Describe supercilious in two words."

Naruto wore a beaming smile then said, "Sasuke Uchiha."

Sasuke let out a small sigh then chuckled a little and said, "You're still the same Naruto."

Naruto shrugged and said, "Yeah, and you're still the same Sasuke."

Sasuke replied with a subtle, but noticeable nod.

...

After they had walked for a while longer, Sasuke kept looking forward and asked, "So…What's going on with you and Sakura?"

As soon as he said that, Naruto cast him a glance of suspicion out of the corner of his eye. He had been waiting for Sasuke to broach the subject, especially since he had made it a habit of trying to creep into his love life. On top of that, it hadn't escaped Naruto's attention that his relationship with Sakura was the first thing Sasuke mentioned when he got back.

Naruto decided to keep his face neutral and simply said, "Nothing."

Sasuke replied, "I saw you guys at that restaurant. That wasn't nothing."

Naruto started losing his poker face as he turned to Sasuke and said, "Just how long were you there for?!"

Sasuke said in his usual monotone voice, "Long enough…"

Naruto paused for a second then dropped his eyes and said, "Spying isn't nice…"

As he realized that Sasuke had been spying on him, he started piecing things together. He turned to Sasuke and said, "I should've known… When you ran into me, there was no 'Hello Naruto.', 'Are you well Naruto?', 'How have you been Naruto?'..."

He started mock imitating Sasuke and said, "You just jumped straight to 'If you want her, go get her.'"

Sasuke snorted and said, "Correction. I said, 'If you want her, _why don't you_ go get her?'. It was a question. As a matter of fact, you still haven't answered it…"

Naruto let out a small sigh as he finally decided to address Sasuke's nagging question. He looked up to nowhere in particular and said, "Things are complicated…"

After saying that, he wasn't really sure what to expect from Sasuke. If he were in Sasuke's position, he'd probably let out a few good laughs before trying to give some advice. But much to his surprise, Sasuke didn't laugh. He didn't even smile or snicker. He kept the same pensive expression then asked, "What makes it complicated?"

Naruto went slightly wide eyed as he realized Sasuke was showing serious concern. Sasuke usually stayed out of people's business, but for some reason it seemed like he was actually interested. Naruto wasn't sure why, but for some reason, he suddenly felt a lot more comfortable talking to him. He didn't usually talk to anyone about things like this, but he could probably trust Sasuke. As he thought about it, he started liking the idea of having someone to talk to about these things more and more. In the past, he mainly dealt with things on his own. Maybe having someone else in his corner wasn't such a bad idea after all. He thought about Sasuke's question then shrugged and said, "I don't know what makes it complicated. You know we've got history. Maybe that's it..."

Sasuke replied, "I thought that was water under the bridge."

Naruto let out a small sigh and said, "Yeah, you're right..."

"Then what's the real problem?"

Sasuke watched as Naruto fell into a deep thought process. This was one of those rare occasions when he actually had to think hard about something. It was always interesting to see him actually have to slow down and think hard for a second.

After he had spent a while thinking, he turned to Sasuke and softly said, "How do you talk to someone about something like this?... Someone that you're already so close to..." He looked yearningly towards the sky and silently said, "How do you tell them that you want to be even closer?..."

Sasuke turned to him and asked, "What if they want to be closer too?"

Naruto let out a small sigh and said, "You don't know that."

Sasuke tilted his head and said, "Mmmm… From what I saw, that might be the case…"

Naruto slightly shook his head and said, "You still don't know that."

Sasuke gave a small shrug and said, "Well you don't not know that."

Naruto slightly tilted his head and said, "I guess… In any case, that still doesn't answer my question…"

As Sasuke examined Naruto, he could tell that he really wanted an answer. The way he had asked the question almost made it sound like he was desperate for one. Unfortunately, Sasuke didn't have one. At least not a simple one. And he was sure that that was what Naruto was looking for.

After thinking about it, Sasuke said, "I don't think there's an easy answer to your question. I think you're gonna have to figure it out. All relationships are different. There isn't one set path to take."

Naruto slowly turned away feeling a bit annoyed. He was hoping Sasuke would have something for him to go off of, but he didn't turn out to be much help at all. He did have to admit that what Sasuke said made sense though. Maybe he did need to try to figure this out for himself.

Sasuke pulled him out of his train of thought by saying, "I know that's probably not the answer you wanted, so I'll give you some advice that I think will help you." He turned to face Naruto and said, "Just be honest with her, Naruto. And know that these types of things always involve taking risks. You never had any problems taking risks before. Don't be afraid to take some now that you're in unfamiliar territory."

Naruto thought about it for a bit then let out a small sigh and said, "Yeah, I guess…"

After they had walked a little farther, Naruto inquisitively asked, "What exactly would you do if you were in my position?"

Sasuke thought about it for a bit, then said, "I'd go for it."

Naruto turned to him and said in a semi-shocked voice, "Really?!"

Sasuke slightly shook his head and said, "Yeah, I would. Better to risk everything for something greater than hold onto something lesser."

Naruto slowly looked away as he started to seriously think about what Sasuke had said.

After they had walked a little further, Sasuke said, "Don't worry, you'll figure it out. And if you need anything, I've got your back."

Naruto thanked him, then turned to him and asked with a hint of curiosity, "Why are you so invested in my love life anyway?"

Sasuke shrugged then said, "I guess you're kinda like the little brother I never had." He wore a small smirk and said, "I figure someone should benefit from my experience..."

Naruto snickered then sarcastically said, "Sasuke, what experience do you have?"

Sasuke wore a semi-smug smirk and said, "Don't forget who was popular back at the academy..."

Naruto let out a small chuckle then wore a proud smile and said, "But who's more popular now?"

Sasuke gave a small smile then said, "Touché..."

* * *

As Naruto and Sasuke walked into the Hokage's office, they saw Tsunade working on her laptop as she sat behind her desk. Kakashi was also present sitting on a chair reading Ichi Ichi Paradise.

Kakashi slammed his book closed then stood up as he turned to Sasuke and said, "Ah, Sasuke. You're back."

Sasuke looked towards Kakashi and said, "Don't you ever get tired of reading that thing?"

Kakashi wore an apparent smile under his mask and said, "Nope! It's one of those timeless classics."

Sasuke looked away and said, "Right…"

After exchanging greetings with the two, Sasuke handed Tsunade the report and said, "Everything's official. The Sound is officially a part of the Union."

Tsunade gave an approving nod as she looked over the papers. After she finished, she turned to Sasuke and said, "So I trust that Orochimaru will be here by tomorrow for the celebration ceremony?"

Sasuke nodded and said, "He was actually on the way here with me. I would've accompanied him to Konoha, but he said he had some stops to make on the way. He'll be here by tomorrow, probably sometime in the morning."

Tsunade nodded and said, "Good. One down..."

Naruto turned to Kakashi and said, "I'm guessing there still hasn't been any word from the Rain?..."

Kakashi was now acting as Konoha's liaison to the Rain. It seemed like the commonsense option since he already had people on the inside.

Kakashi replied with a small head shake and said, "Nope, but the ceremony is supposed to celebrate the Sound _and the Rain_ joining the Union. The Rain may have been official before the Sound, but if Tashisu doesn't show up it won't look good."

Sasuke turned to Kakashi and asked, "Are any of the representatives from the other nations going to be at the ceremony tomorrow?"

Kakashi replied, "Not that many, and definitely not any from any of the bigger villages. We're going to be having peace talks in Konoha soon and every village in the Union is going to be required to attend. If they came to this ceremony, they'd have to just stay here until the peace talks and we haven't set a date for that yet. So instead of inconveniencing everyone, we just decided to host the ceremony on the Union's behalf."

Sasuke gave an understanding nod, then said, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens."

Kakashi remained neutral and said, "Yeah, I guess we will."

Tsunade stood up and said, "In any case, be sure to get some rest, Sasuke. It's pretty early, but I'm pretty sure you've already had a long day."

Sasuke gave a small nod as he turned away to leave. Naruto turned around to follow him out, but before he got out the door, he heard Tsunade call him.

He turned around to face her and asked, "What's going on?"

Tsunade eyed him suspiciously and said, "There's something I wanted to talk to you about...alone..."

Naruto watched with a bit of apprehension as Sasuke and Kakashi left the room. Why would Tsunade want to talk to him alone? He couldn't be in trouble, right?... Just then, an unsettling thought came to his mind. What if Tsunade knew about Konohamaru's injuries?… She always did think he was too hard on him… Maybe that was it, but then again, he'd be hard pressed to believe Sakura had ratted him out… But if it wasn't that, what the heck was it? Before he could think of any other reasons why he might be in trouble, Tsunade noticed his unnerved state and said, "Don't worry, you're not in trouble or anything…"

Naruto let out a huge sigh of relief. He wiped his forehead then wore a small smile and said, "You had me scared for a second, Baa-chan."

Tsunade smiled and said, "Yeah, don't worry, you're not in trouble…however, I do have a request…"

* * *

While Sasuke was waiting for Naruto to finish his meeting, Kakashi turned to him and said, "Since we're the liaisons for the two villages involved, we'll have to be present at the celebration ceremony."

Sasuke said in a more monotone voice than usual, "Sounds like fun…"

Kakashi watched him with a bit of amusement. It was rare to see Sasuke showing unfiltered emotion, but it was clear that he was annoyed. He never was the social type so he tried to stay away from events like these. Kakashi chuckled and said, "If you want, you can invite people. The more the merrier."

Sasuke quickly turned to him and asked, "Aren't Naruto and Sakura gonna have to be there as well?"

Kakashi pulled out his book and said, "As of right now, no. They would have to attend as part of the team that took down Hikan, but as of right now, the Rain hasn't confirmed their attendance to the ceremony so they aren't required to go…"

Kakashi watched as Sasuke's expression changed into one that further showed his uneasiness. Kakashi smiled and said, "If you don't want to be there by yourself, you better invite people. If they don't see me to register by 6:00 tonight, they won't be able to go."

Sasuke kept facing in the same direction and let out a low growl. It felt like Kakashi was enjoying this a little too much.

Just then, the Hokage's office door opened as Naruto walked out. Sasuke looked at him and said in a semi-annoyed voice, "Let's go..."

As Sasuke started walking down the corridor, Naruto turned to Kakashi and said, "What was that about?"

Kakashi smiled and said, "I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."

Naruto eyed him suspiciously then decided to drop it. He shrugged slightly then started following Sasuke out.

After they had been walking for a while, Naruto turned to Sasuke and asked, "What's bugging you?"

Sasuke kept facing forward and said, "I'm going to have to attend the celebration ceremony tomorrow."

Naruto thought about it and said, "Oh… That's not so bad."

"Tch. I'm probably going to just stand there doing nothing in particular for a couple of hours...And I'm going alone."

Naruto turned to him and asked, "Won't Kakashi have to be there too?"

Sasuke shook his head in annoyance and said, "Yeah, but if Tashisu actually shows up, then he'll probably be busy..."

Naruto thought about it and said, "Yeah, you're right. Now I see the problem..."

Sasuke kept facing forward and said, "Exactly..."

Naruto took a good look at Sasuke and realized how much he didn't want to have to go to the ceremony. And the fact that he was going alone only made it worse. He wasn't all that social unless he was relatively close to the people in question. He'd probably be bored out of his skull. After thinking about it for a while, Naruto said, "I'll go with you."

Sasuke turned to him and said, "Really?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "Yeah. I'm not doing anything tomorrow night and I've got no better way to kill the time."

Sasuke let out a small nod. He should've known he wouldn't have to ask Naruto. He always went above and beyond for his friends and he never had a problem with social events anyway. Sasuke turned to him and said, "This is one of the few, rare instances where I would consider you a winner Naruto."

Naruto let out a wide toothed smile and replied, "Don't sweat it!"

"Tch. Don't look so proud Naruto, you're a complete idiot the rest of the time…"

Naruto kept smiling and said, "I'll take what I can get." to which Sasuke simply shook his head.

After a while, Sasuke turned to him and said, "If you're going, you'll have to talk to Kakashi to register."

Naruto said, "I'll take care of it." as he created a shadow clone that started heading back towards the Hokage's office.

Sasuke kept facing forward and said, "Thanks again. I'll make sure you don't regret it."

Naruto eyed him quizzically and said, "What does that mean?"

"Just that I owe you one."

"Alright!" Naruto always found it enjoyable when people owed him for something. Sometimes it meant free food, and sometimes it meant other things like favors. He didn't care either way as long as he at least got something of value.

* * *

_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


	3. Leisure

Ch. 3

As Sasuke walked into Naruto's apartment for the first time in a couple of weeks, he inspected the place and noticed that it hadn't changed much. The place was relatively clean but with a few things out of place here and there. He examined the sofa he had been sleeping on and saw that it looked exactly how it did when he left it. Even the two pillows didn't look like they had been moved.

Naruto noticed him looking at it and said, "I was thinking about at least getting you a sofa bed or something while you were gone, but word is that the Uchiha properties are gonna be transferred over to you soon since you're officially a Leaf shinobi."

Sasuke turned to him and said, "When did you hear that?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "I overheard Tsunade and Kakashi talking about it a few days ago. They'll probably tell you about it soon. I just think they're waiting for everything to be finalized."

Sasuke turned back to face the sofa and said, "Interesting…"

"Yeah, you have a right to those properties. It makes sense that they're going back to you."

Sasuke silently said, "Yeah, I guess so..."

It felt good to know that he'd probably be getting his own place for free soon, but it also came as a sobering reminder that he was the last of the Uchiha. He didn't feel like thinking about it much so he decided to change the subject. He sat down on the sofa and put some rice balls he had bought on the way back on the living room table. He turned to Naruto and asked, "What happened with Tsunade? You got yourself in trouble again?"

Naruto chuckled as he sat down to start taking off his shoes and said, "Nah, it was nothing. She just wanted to ask me something about the Admire a Shinobi Festival."

Sasuke asked, "Isn't that a few days away?"

"Yeah, it is. You should come."

Sasuke snorted and said, "Not really my style."

Naruto gave a small smile and said, "Come on, Sasuke. It'll be fun to dress up like someone else for a change."

Sasuke responded in his usual monotone voice, "That festival is mainly for citizens, Naruto. They dress up as their favorite shinobi because they don't know what being a shinobi is really about. If they did, they might not want to dress up as shinobi anymore."

Naruto gave a small laugh at how serious Sasuke was being and replied, "It's all about fantasy, Sasuke. It's like an escape. The citizens finally get to feel like they have something different from what they have in their normal lives. Something more magical, I guess…"

"Being a shinobi encompasses a lot more things than the clothing. It involves things like loyalty, grit and sacrifice. Those are the types of things that being a shinobi is really all about."

Naruto let out a small smile and said, "Sasuke, the people don't just dress up as shinobi because they're thinking about what it takes. It's more about seeing the world through someone else's eyes."

Sasuke laid back onto the couch and resolutely said, "I stand by what I said earlier."

Naruto finished taking off his shoes with a small smile and said, "Aye, Aye Captain Serious…"

Sasuke gave a small shrug and said, "Whatever."

Naruto started walking towards his room and said, "I'm gonna take a shower."

Sasuke responded with a small nod and decided to meditate for a bit before eating.

A few seconds hadn't passed when Naruto peeked back out of the room and said, "And don't go anywhere. Sakura-chan said she was gonna drop by to see you."

Sasuke responded with another small nod. He hadn't been planning on going anywhere anytime soon so he wasn't disturbed.

* * *

Sasuke had just finished meditating and was sitting on the sofa getting ready to eat his rice balls when Naruto walked out of his room in nothing but his boxers. Sasuke let out a slightly exasperated sigh at how comfortable Naruto was and said, "You could at least put on some clothes…" The last thing he needed was to see something he couldn't unsee.

Naruto scrunched his face and said, "Don't be so dramatic, Teme. And I would put some clothes on, but I think I left the clothes I'm looking for out here." He looked at a small table just outside his bedroom door and lifted up a pillow that was on it. He let out a content smile as he saw the baggy pants and shirt he had been looking for. He picked them up and said, "Found em!"

Sasuke picked up a rice ball and said, "Why are your clothes out here anyway?"

Naruto smiled and said, "It's ordered chaos, Sasuke."

Sasuke snorted and said, "Whatever. Just put some clothes on so you can stop assaulting my eyes…"

Naruto let out a low grumble as he stepped into his pants and pulled his shirt over his head. Before he could think of a slick retort, the two heard a knock on the door. Naruto started walking towards it and said, "Maybe it's Sakura-chan." Sasuke looked at the time. 3:23 PM. He thought about it for a second, then said, "It's a little early for her to already be done at the hospital."

As Naruto reached towards the door, he replied, "Sometimes she starts work very early or she starts working in the middle of the night. Her schedule is weird like that."

Naruto opened the door and saw that it was in fact Sakura. He wore a small smile and said, "Sakura-chan. We thought it might be you."

After the two had exchanged greetings, Sakura peered inside and saw Sasuke looking towards the doorway as he ate a rice ball. She walked inside then let out a small smile and said, "Welcome back…"

As Sasuke rose to his feet, she raised an eyebrow and said, "It's usually Naruto I catch stuffing his face…"

Naruto responded with an indignant, "Hey!" as Sasuke walked towards her.

Sasuke let out a small smile as he finished his rice ball then said, "There's a first time for everything… I was just a little hungry after the journey back."

Sakura smiled and said, "I can imagine." She gave him a small hug and said, "We missed you around here."

Sasuke gave a slight shrug and said, "You guys seem to have managed pretty well without me."

Sakura smiled and said, "Maybe, but it still wasn't the same without you."

Naruto turned to Sakura and whispered in a voice loud enough for Sasuke to hear, "Keep going and you'll make his head even bigger than it already is..."

Sakura gave him a small punch on the shoulder and said, "Oh, shut up." to which Naruto started snickering.

Sasuke turned to Sakura and said, "Don't mind him. He just doesn't like the fact that when he's gone people don't miss him as much because he's so annoying."

Sakura gave a small giggle as Naruto turned to Sasuke and said, "What are you talking about? I'm the most popular guy around!"

Sasuke looked away and said, "Doesn't mean you're not annoying…"

Naruto shrugged and said, "Whatever… Anyway, I should get my jumpsuit for you Sakura-chan."

Sakura sat down and said, "Good idea." as she set down the bag of materials she had brought along.

As Naruto went to get the torn jumpsuit, Sasuke turned to Sakura and noticed that she looked pretty tired. He knew the hospital job was demanding, but she looked even more tired than usual. He hadn't seen her in a while, so it made the bags below her eyes that much more jarring. He turned to her and asked, "How come you're done at the hospital so early?"

"I went in a little early this morning. And on top of that, I think Tsunade felt a little bad because the hospital cut my lunch break short. She said she'll take care of everything else for the day."

Sasuke gave a small nod and said, "That makes sense…" He examined her for a little longer and asked, "You sure you're ok? You look really tired."

Sakura cracked her neck and said, "I'm fine. You get used to it…" Sasuke looked unconvinced but decided to drop it anyway. Maybe being as tired as she looked was just part of the job. She was the head medic after all.

As Naruto walked out of his room with his shredded jumpsuit, he handed it to Sakura and said, "Here you go." She took it from him and started working on the tears.

Sasuke looked at it and curiously asked, "Who were you training with?"

"Konohamaru."

Sasuke looked at it a little closer then gave a small scoff and said, "And he did that much damage?..."

Naruto didn't miss the subtle jab and retorted, "He's gotten a lot better while you were gone!"

Sasuke let out a taunting snort and said, "That's a fine way to rationalize it. At least that way, your ego stays in one piece."

Sakura started laughing while Naruto smiled and said "No, seriously! You should've seen him out there." He went on to tell them all about the sparring session they had. From how he was speaking, it was obvious that he still really enjoyed training. The way his eyes lit up showed his deep appreciation for it.

After he was done telling his story, the three talked about many different topics before Sakura finally finished patching up the jumpsuit.

After she was finished, she handed it to him and said, "All done."

Naruto examined it and said, "Thanks, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura dropped her head and said, "Thank me by being a bit more careful next time."

Naruto scratched the back of his head and said, "I'll do my best."

After he had put the jumpsuit away, he looked at the time and saw that it was now a couple of minutes past 5:30. He turned to the two and said, "There's still a lot of the day left. You guys have anything in mind?"

Sakura thought to herself for a second and decided it would probably be best to do something they'd all enjoy. From how Naruto had been talking about his training session with Konohamaru earlier, it was obvious that he still enjoyed training very much. It would be nice to do something for him for a change, and it would do her good to get in some training since she hadn't been able to train for a while due to her responsibilities at the hospital. Sasuke would probably really like that idea as well.

After deciding it was a good idea, she turned to the two of them and said, "Maybe we could all spar together."

Upon hearing that, Naruto's head swiveled to her as he said, "That doesn't sound like a bad idea… I'm down." He tried to say it in a carefree voice, but it was obvious he was heavily invested in that idea.

Sakura turned to Sasuke and said, "You in?"

Sasuke thought about it for a second, then said, "I wish. You guys go ahead without me. I have to go out and make sure the village is ready for Orochimaru's arrival tomorrow."

Sakura gave a small nod and said, "Oh yeah. As our liaison, you've probably got some work to do…"

Sasuke replied, "Yeah, but it's not as bad as I thought it'd be."

Naruto made a semi-depressed face and said, "That sucks. It would've been nice having you out there."

Sasuke replied with a simple, "Yeah, I probably would've enjoyed beating your sorry behind..."

Naruto chuckled and said, "Yeah...Right." as he wore a large smile.

After a few seconds had passed, he stood up and said, "In any case, I'll go put on some training clothes."

As soon as Naruto stepped into his room, Sasuke turned to Sakura and said, "I actually have a favor to ask of you…"

Sakura wore a slightly confused expression since it wasn't really like Sasuke to make a request. To be honest, it actually felt a little suspicious. Nonetheless, she decided to see what he wanted and curiously asked, "What is it?"

Sasuke gave a small smile and said, "Don't worry. It's not anything major…"

* * *

Naruto was now wearing a black jacket along with some orange pants (i.e. an outfit similar to his outfit from the Last) while Sakura was in her usual red top garment with black shorts underneath. They had stopped by her apartment so that she could change since she didn't have on the appropriate clothes after coming from the hospital. She had also put her hair into a small updoo so it wouldn't get in the way while they were sparring. Her hair wasn't that long as it only reached a bit past her shoulders, but it was long enough to get in the way if it wasn't pushed out of the way somehow.

As they walked towards the training grounds, Sakura wore a small frown and said, "Sucks that Sasuke couldn't come."

Naruto put his hands behind his head and said, "Yeah, it would've been nice having him around. Hopefully we've all got some free time one of these days." Sakura nodded in agreement as they stepped onto one of the training grounds.

Upon arriving, they saw that some of the Konoha 11 were already there training. It was a time of relative peace, so shinobi had more free time, especially later in the day. Might Guy and Rock Lee were training on one of the distant training grounds while Shino, Hinata and Kiba were on one of the training grounds closer to them. They looked like they were taking a break, but they decided not to disturb them anyway and started quietly walking by.

As they walked past them, Sakura was left slightly wide-eyed as she noticed Hinata give Kiba a small kiss on the cheek. Naruto watched her reaction with thinly veiled amusement and tried not to grin from ear to ear as they kept walking.

After Sakura was sure they had gotten out of Kiba's range of hearing, she turned to Naruto and half-whispered, "What was that?!"

Naruto decided to prolong his amusement by playing dumb and asked, "What was what?" as he suppressed a giggle.

Sakura dropped her eyes and said, "You can't tell me you didn't see that…"

Naruto finally dropped his act and started chuckling as he said, "Yes. I saw it, Sakura-chan."

Sakura knew even Naruto couldn't be that unobservant. He was still a ninja after all. After a few seconds of stunned silence, she turned to him and said, "Just what was that?"

Naruto wore an amused smile and jokingly said, "Don't worry Sakura-chan. If you can't understand it now, I'll explain it to you when you're older..."

If Sakura wasn't so used to his taunting, she'd have a good mind to punch him right about now. Maybe she'd get him back while they were training. She turned away with a huff and sarcastically said, "Ha, Ha, Ha. You're very funny."

Naruto's eyes danced with laughter as he said, "Come on, Sakura-chan. It's obvious they're together."

Since when did he get so perceptive. She didn't notice anything between the two recently, and as far as she knew, Hinata was still crushing on Naruto. She turned to him and said, "Since when?..."

Naruto put a hand to his chin as he thought about it and said, "I'm not sure exactly when, but since a while now."

Sakura kept walking and silently said, "Would've never guessed it…"

As the two walked a little further, Sakura couldn't help but wonder about when exactly Hinata had moved on. She was thinking of asking Naruto about it, but he seemed like he might not have even known she liked him at one point. He could be really dense sometimes, although she started to question the validity of that thought since he knew about Kiba and Hinata before she did. As she found herself unable to get away from the thought, she mentally chided herself. She shouldn't care this much about Naruto's love life. They were just friends after all. Close friends, but friends, nonetheless.

* * *

Naruto and Sakura were now doing some light sparring. Sakura could tell Naruto was enjoying himself and she was enjoying herself as well. It had been years since just the two of them had trained together. At first it felt a little awkward, but after a while it started to feel more and more natural. The sparring just felt like it had a familiar rhythm to it.

After they had finished sparring, the two decided to sit down to cool off. They leaned against a tree trunk as they drank some water that they had brought along.

As Sakura sat there, she found that she couldn't get that nagging question about when things had changed between him and Hinata out of her head. As she was thinking about it, she heard Naruto say something in the background but she didn't catch what it was.

She knocked herself free of her thoughts and said, "Huh?"

Naruto looked at her quizzically and said, "I said that punch of yours is still scary as ever."

"Oh... Thanks." said Sakura as she faced forward again.

Naruto could tell she had something on her mind and that it was really bothering her. After examining her for a bit longer, he turned to her and said, "Don't pop a blood vessel..."

Sakura replied with a clueless, "What?"

Naruto chuckled and said, "You look like you've got something on your mind. What is it?"

Sakura wasn't sure she should tell him. It was his personal business after all, but then again, they were best friends so maybe it was ok. She decided to just ask him and if she sensed that he wasn't comfortable she'd just drop it.

She turned to him and asked, "What happened between you and Hinata?"

Naruto was drinking some water, but she could tell that the expression on his face was already turning into one of his naughtier smiles. Naruto grinned from ear to ear and teasingly said, "Why so interested?"

Sakura wore a semi-flustered expression as she tried to think of an answer. She hadn't even asked herself why she was so interested, let alone thought about how to answer a teasing Naruto. After sitting there flustered for a few seconds, she gave a small shrug and tried to remain nonchalant as she said, "Just curious."

Naruto wasn't buying it. He could always tell when Sakura was just curious and when she had a personal stake in things. He let out a small chuckle and said, "If you say so…" as he relaxed against the tree trunk.

After that, Sakura decided to just drop it. She thought she would drop it if Naruto was uncomfortable, but it was quite the opposite. She was the one who ended up at a loss for words. She hadn't even thought about why she was so interested, but it could be interest as a friend, right?

Naruto watched her with a small smile as she started to regain her composure.

After a few more seconds, he noticed that she was going to completely drop it and decided to answer her question.

He looked out into the training ground and said, "I talked to her a while after the war… When I first found out she liked me, I was so honored that someone like her could have feelings for someone like me. The problem was that I knew I didn't feel the same way… It would've been wrong of me to give her false hope or anything…"

Sakura noticed that there was a sense of sadness in his eyes. He never liked hurting people, but the fact that he had approached Hinata showed a level of maturity that she didn't know he had.

He continued in a lower voice and said, "When I explained that to her, I could tell she was sad, but she was so understanding and kind that we've actually been great friends since." He gave a small chuckle and said, "That's also part of the reason I knew about her and Kiba…"

Sakura looked down and silently said, "Oh..." She would've never taken Naruto to be the type to start serious talks with people. He was much more perceptive and mature than she gave him credit for, even though he did still have some immature qualities. And now it made sense why she didn't know about the thing between him and Hinata. Her and Naruto probably weren't on speaking terms back then.

Naruto relaxed against the tree trunk a bit more and said, "Yep. That's the story…"

After a few seconds, he turned to her so that he was a few inches away from her face. He knew that she didn't like people invading her personal space, so whenever he wanted to bother her he made sure to get _really_ close. He was around two or three inches from her face as he wore a mischievous grin and said, "I still find it interesting that you were so interested…"

Sakura registered what he said, then reverted back to her semi-flustered state as she pushed him away. She insisted, "I wasn't _so interested!" _as she took a swig of water. For some reason, she could feel her lips getting dry.

Naruto laughed and protested, "Yeah you were. I can tell when you're lying Sakura-chan, and you're blushing on top of it!"

Sakura turned away to partially hide her face and forcefully said, "I am _not_ blushing!"

Naruto kept laughing and said, "You're even cuter when you're flustered."

As Sakura's blush deepened, she started trying to splutter out in protest, but she couldn't even form a coherent sentence. After a few seconds, she regained her composure and resolutely objected, "I am not flustered." as she crossed her arms in slight annoyance. Unfortunately for her, Naruto was having too much fun to stop now. He leaned in towards her and, using the most seductive voice he could summon, whispered, "When you're angry, you actually go from looking cute…to looking hot…"

Sakura turned redder than any of the times before as she turned away pinching her bottom lip. She was pretty sure by now that he was just trying to get a reaction out of her, but he didn't have to be so forward.

Naruto, on the other hand, was enjoying every second of this. He always thought it was fun to see Sakura getting a little out of her comfort zone. She was always so focused on being strong and doing her job at the hospital that he rarely saw her just kicking back and having some fun.

Sakura quickly worked to regain her composure then turned back to him and said with a bit of sass, "Keep it up, and I'll hurt you even more than I already did today."

Naruto started snickering as he moved closer and said, "Go ahead. It'll be worth it if you keep blushing like you are now." Sakura started slowly turning red in the face again then spluttered out, "I'm leaving." She had no idea where she was going, but it felt like anything was better than how embarrassed she felt at the moment. Maybe she was making too much out of this. Naruto had been pretty open throughout the whole thing, but it still felt like there was more going on than friendly banter. Regardless of what was going on, she was pretty sure she needed to get out of there and back into her comfort zone.

As she started trying to get up, Naruto grabbed her around her waist and started hugging her tight as he playfully said, "No, you're not."

Sakura started trying to wiggle free, but she couldn't deny a feeling of warmth from his arms as he held her close.

She tried to struggle free, but that just made Naruto hold her tighter. She could tell that things were getting out of hand, so she grabbed her water bottle and splashed it in his face. That seemed to do the trick. Naruto released his grip as he gurgled some water then coughed and exclaimed, "Hey!"

She stood up with a smug smile and said, "That's what you get…"

Naruto shook his head as if he was in a daze then started coughing a little more. Sakura looked at him with no sense of pity at all. As far as she was concerned, he deserved to be choking at the moment.

She started watching with a little more concern as he started coughing a bit louder. After a few seconds, she looked at him with a bit of concern and said, "Are you ok?..."

Naruto didn't respond, but instead started coughing vehemently. She immediately knelt down by him and placed a hand on his back as she let out a more concerned, "Naruto?..."

After she had been kneeling there for a few seconds, Naruto let out a mischievous smile as he grabbed his water bottle and splashed it in her face. His water bottle had a lot more water than hers did, so her hair got wet as well. As Naruto watched her wet, pink hair drooping over her face, he started laughing rather loudly and said, "I can't believe you fell for that…"

Sakura let out a low grumble as she tackled him to the ground and said, "That's very funny!"

Naruto kept laughing and said, "They don't call me the #1 most unpredictable ninja for nothing."

Sakura hovered over him as she held down his arms, then glared at him and said, "At the rate you're going, people might not call you that for much longer…"

Naruto let out a small smile before noticing just how close they were to each other. She was now sitting on his stomach as she held down his arms. With how powerful he was, he could get out of it at any time, but he was 100% sure he didn't want to. He had been joking around before, but right now she looked _hot_, especially with her wet hair drooping across her face. Sakura noticed their close proximity as well and watched as Naruto's expression went from being playful to being somewhat abashed. As her expression changed to match his, the atmosphere immediately went from light-hearted and jovial to heavy and intense. Sakura looked down at him as her emerald green eyes met his ocean blue ones. As their eyes locked on each other, Sakura's heart started beating so fast that she could hear it, and just by looking at how Naruto was breathing it was obvious that his heart was racing as well. As she held down his arms, he just looked so vulnerable, but it looked like he wanted to be vulnerable in that moment. After staring at each other for a few more seconds, Sakura quickly got up and stuttered out, "I- I- I'm sorry."

After a short pause, Naruto let out a small smile then slowly stood up and said, "Don't be… It was all in good fun."

Sakura knew that everything had not been "all in good fun", especially at the end. And she was sure that Naruto knew that as well. Their relationship was not so subtly starting to move into a different area. An area full of risks, and Sakura didn't even want to think about risking losing his friendship again. She looked away and said, "I think I'm gonna get going." as she hurriedly picked up her empty water bottle.

Naruto dropped his shoulders in disappointment and said, "Sakura-chan, don't leave…"

She remained resolute in her decision and said, "I think it's for the best." as she started getting ready to leave.

Naruto could see that she was a little uncomfortable, but he still wasn't giving up that easily. He turned to her and said, "Come on, Sakura-chan. As a friend, I'm asking you to stay."

Sakura avoided looking at him by looking at the ground and said, "Aren't we already done training anyway?... What would we be doing?..."

Naruto had an almost desperate tone in his voice as he said, "I don't know. We could just talk about random things." He lifted her head so she would look at him and softly said, "_Just_…_don't leave._" He could understand that things had gone a little off the rails, but he didn't want that fact to end their time together.

As Sakura looked into his pleading blue eyes, she knew she wouldn't be able to say no. It was part of the reason she had been avoiding looking at him in the first place. She let out a small sigh, then, after a few seconds, she let out a small smile and reluctantly said, "Ok..."

Naruto smiled and responded with a soft but grateful, "Thank you." as the two sat down and leaned against the tree trunk again.

Naruto could tell she had been a little unsettled by how things had so quickly got out of hand, so he made it his personal job to make her feel comfortable again. He handed her a small hand towel he had brought to wipe away his sweat and said, "Sorry about your hair..."

She accepted it with a small smile and softly said, "I started it."

Naruto smiled and said, "Not really. I started it when I grabbed you so I should be sorry… And I'm sorry for teasing you so much…"

Sakura noticed how apologetic he was and felt a little bad. She was a little uncomfortable at how things had spun out of control, but she wasn't trying to make him feel bad. To be honest, she had enjoyed the past few moments as well. It felt good to be so comfortable with someone that she was able to finally let her guard down.

She turned to him and said, "It's ok, Naruto. All in good fun remember."

Naruto looked down and said, "But still, I shouldn't have teased you so much. Sometimes I get carried away, you know…"

Sakura could tell he still felt bad, so she decided to lighten the mood by trying to have some fun of her own. She wore a devious smirk and replied, "I'll say. You even said I was cute…"

Naruto started grinning from ear to ear and playfully asked, "Did I say that?" as a small blush crept up to his face.

Sakura got up in his face and said, "Yeah, you did." Hopefully she'd make him as flustered as he had made her before. Naruto went slightly wide-eyed at her close proximity as he started turning red around his whiskers. He closed his eyes and stammered out, "W-Well it's true." Sakura gave a content smile at his reaction. This game was actually very fun when the shoe was on the other foot. No way she'd let him off easy now. She moved even closer and said, "You also said that I was hot when I was angry…"

Naruto let out a small gulp as he thought about it for a bit. He hadn't been thinking all that much of what he was saying since he was focused on teasing her in the moment.

Sakura moved a little closer and started twirling her hair as she kept pressing him. "Soooo?….."

Naruto finally managed to get a hold of himself as he got an idea. He let out a small smile and said, "That might have been a bit of a fib…"

Sakura moved back instinctively without noticing and, in a noticeably less lively tone, said, "Oh…"

Naruto could tell from her body language that she was a little disappointed after hearing that. Despite her status as one of the most feared kunoichi in the world, she was still a girl, and hearing something negative about how attractive she was had to be a bit discomforting. After watching her reaction for a bit, he let out a wide smile and said, "I think you look hot all the time, Sakura-chan!"

As Sakura realized what he had said, she blushed a little then let out a small chuckle and said, "Smart boy..." as her body instinctively reclined a little closer to him.

Naruto was satisfied with her reaction and responded with a proud smile.

After the two had been sitting there for a while, Naruto silently asked, "Aren't you glad you stayed?"

Sakura wore an affectionate smile and replied with a simple, "Yes." She couldn't even try to deny that fact. She was a lot more comfortable with the atmosphere now. Things felt a lot more relaxed than they did a few moments ago.

A few minutes later, Naruto looked out into the field with a small smile and said, "Is it wrong that I'm kinda glad Sasuke wasn't here now?" He waited for a reply, but there wasn't one. He looked down to his right and saw that Sakura had already fallen asleep on his shoulder. He could tell she was tired throughout the day so he wasn't surprised that she had fallen asleep so fast. He looked down at her with a warmhearted smile and admired her sleeping form. He examined her from her delicate body to her now frizzy pink hair with a soft smile, then decided to close his eyes as well. He wasn't really all that tired, but he just felt like relaxing at the moment. For once, his hyperactive nature didn't take over. Slowing down actually felt like it had a certain appeal to it for some reason. He let out a deep sigh as he rested his head against the tree trunk and started relaxing as well.

* * *

_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


	4. Leaving Comfort Zones

Ch. 4

Kakashi and Sasuke were talking outside the Hokage Building as the sun began to set. The faint, yellow glow gave the village a more mellow vibe that seemed to reflect the current peaceful state the world was in. The crowds were a lot livelier now and the village was filled with a variety of different sounds and smells that began to intensify as restaurants entered their busiest hours.

After a short pause, Kakashi turned to Sasuke and asked, "Was that all you came to tell me?"

Sasuke replied, "Pretty much."

After a short pause, Kakashi looked out into the village and said, "I think I can make an exception so I'll add her to the list..." He turned towards Sasuke and said, "You know they've pretty much been orbiting each other since you left?"

"They're still orbiting each other now that I'm here."

Kakashi wore a small smile and said, "Yeah, I guess you're right…" Kakashi knew that Sasuke was always the observant type so it shouldn't surprise him that he noticed Naruto and Sakura's proximity as well. He still found it interesting how involved Sasuke was in their relationship though. Sasuke was a lot of things, but a meddler wasn't one of them. He tilted his head to the side a bit and inquisitively asked, "Why are you so involved in things between them anyway? It's a little unlike you."

Sasuke turned to face the village and said, "Naruto grew up as a loner. He didn't get to live in a traditional home so I doubt his sense of how to handle things like this is very developed. He had a few people who cared about him growing up and he's just a friendly person so he's developed good social skills, but I doubt he was able to learn much about handling this type of thing."

Kakashi thought about it for a second then said, "You grew up as a loner too though."

"But before I was a loner, I had a family. I got to live in a normal home, even if only for a short time. He never did."

As Kakashi thought about it he realized that Sasuke was right. Naruto had never really had the privilege of growing up in a normal home. Both of his parents were basically dead within the first few seconds of his life. It was a little sad now that he thought about it.

After a moment of silence, Kakashi wore a small smile under his mask and softly said, "You're a good guy, Sasuke."

Sasuke let out a small huff and asked, "Why? Because I'm meddling like you usually do?..."

Kakshi chuckled then said, "No, _because you care enough_ to meddle like I usually do."

Sasuke shrugged and said, "They need the push… And I have to admit, it's been a little fun to get out of my comfort zone. Now I can see why you enjoy meddling so much…"

Kakashi gave a happy smile and said, "See! It's good to try new things."

"Tch. Don't get too excited. As soon as things between them start moving on their own, I'm getting out of their business…"

Kakashi shrugged and said, "I guess that's fair-" then turned to Sasuke with a pleased smile that was visible under his mask and said, "-but until then...welcome to the dark side."

Sasuke let out a small smirk and said, "Talk to you later, Kakashi." as he started to walk away. Kakashi gave a small wave and said, "See ya… By the way, is everything ready for Orochimaru's arrival?"

Sasuke turned back around halfway and replied, "As ready as it can be. I'm imagining it'll be awkward for the villagers to see him walking around as an ally, but they'll get used to it."

Kakashi looked into the village and silently said, "I guess they'll have to…"

In the past, Orochimaru had attacked the village and done a lot of other bad things so Kakashi knew the villagers would probably be suspicious of him. If he was honest, even he was suspicious of him. The sincerity of Orochimaru's change of heart was still an issue that was very present in his mind.

After thinking about it for a few seconds, he turned to Sasuke and asked in a genuinely curious voice, "Do you think he's sincere?"

Without hesitating for a moment, Sasuke replied, "Yes."

Kakashi examined him quizzically and asked, "How can you be so sure?"

"Despite all he's done, he's a man of science and knowledge. I've spent a lot of time with him, so I can tell when he's fascinated with things. I can tell that the change that the shinobi world is going through genuinely fascinates him. So for now, he's legit."

Kakashi felt a little better about the situation after hearing that. Sasuke was the type not to trust anybody. He was very perceptive and would probably be able to tell if something was up. If he thought someone was sincere, they probably were.

Kakashi let out a small sigh and responded with a content, "Good."

After a short pause, Sasuke asked, "Still no word from Tashisu?"

Kakashi leaned against the building wall and said, "Nope. So far, we still haven't gotten any communication from the Rain."

"What about your people on the inside? Nothing from them either?"

Kakashi shook his head and said, "Nope. Not a word."

Sasuke gave a slight shrug and said, "Guess we'll just have to wait and see if they show."

Kakashi let out a small sigh and said, "Yep… We'll just have to wait and see."

Kakashi found it a little annoying that the Rain hadn't confirmed their attendance. He would probably have to go to the celebration ceremony regardless of the Rain attending or not since he was basically Tsunade's right hand man, but it was still annoying to have extended an invitation and basically received no response.

* * *

Sakura found herself in a somewhat groggy haze as she started to arise from her slumber. She was still in that phase where it felt like it would actually take energy to open her eyes, so she just kept them shut. She could sense that the overall atmosphere was very serene and mellow so it made her want to relax a bit more. Not only that, there was an inescapable warmth surrounding her. The warmth was so inviting that she instinctively nestled a little closer it and let out a deep sigh.

As she lay there with her eyes closed, she was welcomed by the excited chirping of birds as well as a faint, cool breeze. The smells all around were inviting as well. There was a distinct smell that signaled a natural environment. She could pick up the smell of tree bark, grass, flowers, and other types of shrubbery. She could also smell something else mingled in among the nature. It had a slightly musky and earthy vibe to it. It smelled natural, but not in the same way as the shrubbery she had been smelling before. She inhaled a bit to see if she could figure it out, but she couldn't get a bead on what it was. She was considering forcing open her eyes so she could investigate when she noticed that she could hear a steady thumping sound. She was still groggy but she had been a medic long enough to know what a heartbeat sounded like. As she realized she was listening to a heartbeat, she wore a semi-confused frown and finally lifted her head to get a hold of her surroundings. She was still a little disoriented, but she looked up and saw Naruto looking out into the distance. He looked amazingly calm as the setting sun accentuated his well-defined jaw. Her eyes drowsily scanned over his face from his dazzlingly blue eyes to the unique whiskers she had grown so fond of. She always thought that his whiskers had a certain alluring quality to them. They gave his face a distinct look that she liked.

As Naruto realized she was waking up, he turned to her with an affectionate smile and softly said, "Good morning, Sleepyhead…"

Sakura squinted in confusion as she tried to gain a hold of her surroundings, she noticed her arm was resting on his chest while his arm was softly resting across her back. Normally, she would make some type of objection, but she was too groggy to really process or object to anything at the moment. On top of that she was beyond comfortable as she rested in his arms.

As she took another look around the field, she noticed that the sun was slowly setting. She let out a few blinks of confusion as she finally processed what Naruto had said. If the sun was setting, why was he saying good morning?... After thinking about it for a few seconds, she immediately jerked upright as she realized she must've fallen asleep on him. She looked at him wide-eyed and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry…" as she quickly scuffled a couple of feet away. She carefully avoided looking at him to hide her embarrassment and found herself glad that the sun had almost set. Maybe the growing darkness could actually overshadow her humiliation.

Naruto let out a small smile and said, "Sakura-chan, by now you should know you don't have to apologize for something like this."

Sakura kept avoiding his gaze and shamefully said, "Yes, I do. I shouldn't have dozed off…" The last thing she needed to do was fall asleep on him, especially with all that had happened earlier.

Naruto propped himself up against the tree in a more upright position and said, "Sakura-chan, I could see throughout the day that you were tired. I know you had a long day, and I'm pretty sure that you suggested we come train because you know how much I like it. This was the least I could do."

Sakura appreciated the fact that he was so understanding, but she still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she had fallen asleep on him. She started fixing her hair as she mentally chided herself. The only thought pulsing through her mind was, '_What was I thinking?...'_ At the moment, it felt like uncomfortable moments between them were becoming common occurrences. On top of that, he was probably bored out of his mind while she was turning his chest into a makeshift pillow. _'It was a pretty good pillow though…'_ she thought as a small smile crept onto her face. Upon realizing the direction her thoughts were going in, she quickly brought herself back to the moment and gave herself a mild scolding for acting like a love-struck girl, then started putting her frizzy hair back into an updoo. She didn't really have a reason to do so, but it felt like if she did something with her hands it would help reduce her embarrassment.

Naruto noticed how uncomfortable she was and said with a hint of confusion, "Sakura-chan. It's ok…" He was genuinely confused as to why she was taking this so seriously. It wasn't like she drooled on him or something.

Sakura turned to him and responded with a small nod of agreement. Unfortunately, Naruto could tell when she was lying. He could tell that she still saw it as if she had inconvenienced him or something. As he examined her, he felt a nagging sense of sadness. With how close they were, it actually hurt a bit to see that she could be so bothered by the fact that she had fallen asleep on him. There was no way he'd want her to ever feel uncomfortable around him, no matter what had happened.

After examining her for a few more seconds, he let out a small sigh then picked up his empty water bottle and his sweat towel as he rose to his feet. He waited for her to finish picking up her stuff then softly said, "Let's go, Sakura."

Sakura stood up and looked at him with a small frown as she noticed he had left the familiar chan out of her name. Before she could say anything, he had already turned to start heading back towards the village.

...

As the two walked through the village, Sakura felt a sense of uneasiness. Naruto had been silent for most of their trip and he had made little to no effort to sustain any of the short pieces of conversation that she had initiated. There was a clear sadness marring his usually cheerful face, and the most unsettling part was that it reminded her of how things used to be between them. She was hoping she'd never feel anything like that again, but it seemed like he was just in a mood similar to how he was back then. His usual, cheery smile had been replaced by a persistent half frown that wasn't nearly as appealing, and his overall mood was simply droopy. She let out a very noticeable frown as she realized that the only thing that could be bothering him so much was the fact that she had made such a big deal out of falling asleep on him. Maybe she was making a mountain out of a molehill. Whatever the case, there was no way she was going to leave it unresolved. With everything they had been through, she had grown a little overprotective of their friendship and she was willing to protect it at all costs.

She gave him a small nudge with her elbow and said, "Sorry if I overreacted earlier…"

Naruto paused for a second, then forced a smile and gave a small nod. That wasn't the reaction Sakura was hoping for. He had acknowledged her, but it felt kind of meaningless. His demeanor was still droopy and his forced smile had already reverted back to that small half frown that she hated seeing.

As they kept walking, Sakura couldn't tell if he was thinking of what to say or if he just didn't give what she had said that much importance. What she did know was that she started to feel that same disconnect they had experienced a while ago. But why would her reaction to falling asleep on him hurt him so much? Sure she was a little uncomfortable when she realized it had happened, but surely it didn't merit this kind of reaction.

As he kept walking without responding, Sakura felt a sense of desperation. She needed him to say something… _Anything._ She couldn't take this familiar silence anymore. She finally turned to him and pleadingly said, _"Please talk to me, Naruto…"_

Naruto paused for a second, then let out a small sigh and said, "Sakura-chan…"

As soon as he said that, Sakura felt like her world had a bit of stability again. She couldn't stand being at odds with him so the fact that he was at least willing to talk about things gave her a sense of relief beyond words. And he had added the familiar chan back to her name as well. She was able to finally calm down a bit as he continued.

Naruto turned to her and asked, "Why were you so bothered by the fact that you fell asleep on me?..."

Sakura turned to him and saw that his blue eyes were now firmly fixed on her as he waited for a reply. As she looked into his sad eyes, she could see that for some reason her reaction had seriously bothered him. It was at that moment that she realized that any answer she could give probably wouldn't really make him feel any better. She could just tell him the truth, but that would be too complicated. What would she say anyway? _'I overreacted because I think our relationship is quickly moving in a direction I'm not sure I'm ready to risk moving into...' _No way...

After thinking about it for a little longer, she slowly turned away and said, "I don't know… I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable or be a burden to you." She dropped her head a bit and said, "You were probably bored out of your mind sitting there while I was asleep…" That wasn't really the whole truth, but she hoped it would be enough to satisfy him.

Naruto wore a disappointed frown and said, "But Sakura-chan, that's the problem. I don't ever want you to think that you make me uncomfortable. And I definitely don't want you thinking that you're a burden to me. When I'm with you, I can slow down a bit. As a matter of fact, when I'm with you, I actually enjoy slowing down." He looked away and said, "When you reacted the way you did, it showed me that despite all of our time together, you didn't know that...and that hurt a bit..."

Upon hearing that, Sakura looked away with a bit of shame. Now it made sense why he reacted the way he did. He must've felt like she didn't really know him. But that couldn't be further from the truth. She knew and trusted him more than anyone else. When she was laying there in his arms, she felt warm and safe. It felt like she was with someone that she could let her guard down around. The only reason she had reacted the way she did was because she didn't want to risk anything messing with their friendship. Now if only she could tell him that...

After considering actually telling him the truth for a second, she decided that it would be best if she just apologized. It would probably be a lot easier too...

She kept her head bowed and softly said, "I'm really sorry… I shouldn't have ever thought you'd consider me a burden. I know I can trust you, it's just that I overreact sometimes." She kept her head bowed and said, "Even I can be a baka if I'm not careful…"

Naruto let out a small chuckle then turned to her with a small smile and said, "It's ok Sakura-chan. Just promise me you'll trust me more."

Sakura finally lifted her head as she turned to him with a small smile and said, "Ok. I promise..."

After a few seconds, she looked away a bit and said, "...but you have to promise me something too." She knew she probably shouldn't be the one asking for any promises, but she couldn't risk him not talking to her for any period of time, no matter how short it was.

Naruto looked at her inquisitively and asked, "What is it?"

Sakura looked away shyly and said, "Just promise me that you'll always talk to me… No matter what happens…" She knew she probably sounded incredibly desperate, but she didn't care. She was going to protect their friendship no matter what she had to do.

As Naruto looked at her, he felt like punching himself in the face. He had let himself get so upset that he didn't really think about how his reaction was affecting her. She looked so vulnerable and open. As he looked at her eyes, he could see that she was also hiding a bit of fear. His heart sunk as he realized that she was probably scared that maybe one day things could go back to being as bad as they were before. He immediately stopped and grabbed her by the shoulders. He let out a small sigh and said, "Sakura-chan, look at me." Sakura had been trying to avoid looking at him but slowly lifted her head to face him.

Naruto looked into her eyes and said, "I'm sorry…and I understand. I'll _always_ talk to you. _I swear_."

After a few seconds, Sakura smiled and softly said, "Thank you..."

Naruto was glad to see that she had been reassured so he let out a satisfied smile as he released his grip on her shoulders and said, "No problem…"

...

After they had been walking for a while, Sakura turned to Naruto and inquired, "So how long was I out, anyway?"

Naruto tilted his head upwards as he thought about it, then said, "Probably about an hour."

Sakura gave a slightly disapproving head shake. She thought she had been asleep for half an hour at the most. She must've been more tired than she thought to have slept for a whole hour.

"The way you react you'd think sleep was a bad thing…" said Naruto with a somewhat amused smile.

Sakura smiled and said, "It's not that. It's just that I had to have been more tired than I thought I was to have slept for an hour."

Naruto thought about it and said, "Yeah, you were already tired from having such a long day so I think the training wiped you out."

Sakura gave a small shrug and said, "Yeah, I guess so…" There was no point making a fuss out of it now so she decided to look at the positive side of things and said, "At least I got some rest…"

Naruto wore a small smile and said, "Yeah, I'll say…"

Sakura raised an eyebrow and said, "What does that mean?..."

Naruto kept smiling and said, "Nothing..."

Sakura studied his expression and said, "No, it's something and you're gonna tell me what it is." She could tell that he had that immature glint bouncing around in his eyes again.

After a short pause, Naruto turned to her and said, "Well, you might've snored a bit…"

Sakura started rapidly blinking and said in a voice of disbelief, "You're joking right?..."

"No." responded Naruto with a suppressed chuckle.

Sakura examined him and said, "Yeah you are! You can't hide that stupid, goofy grin from me…" She wasn't the snoring type. He had to be messing with her like he usually did, right?

The more she told herself it was all one of his games, the more it felt like she was trying to convince herself.

Naruto wore a wide smile and said, "Just because I'm smiling doesn't mean I'm lying…"

Sakura decided that the best way to figure out the truth would be to ask him directly. He would be honest if she just asked him openly. She glanced at him sideways and said, "Be honest, Naruto. Was I really snoring?"

Naruto turned to her with a tender smile and softly said, "Yes, Sakura-chan. You actually did snore a bit…"

Sakura paused for a second, then snapped her head to the right to hide her face which was now flushing red in embarrassment. She crossed her arms and said, "I don't believe you."

Naruto wore a spirited smile and said, "Don't worry Sakura-chan. I still love you…snores and all!"

Sakura kept looking away and let out a small huff. Unfortunately, she was pretty sure he wasn't lying. He always told her the truth about a matter after he had his fun. The fact that he was still insisting that she had been snoring meant that it was probably true. After thinking about it for a bit, she decided to finally give up protesting. If she was actually snoring, then at least it was Naruto and not anyone else. He never took anything too seriously. She couldn't imagine talking to someone like Sasuke after falling asleep and snoring on him. Then again, Sasuke probably wouldn't have bothered to tell her that she was snoring when she woke up…

After a while, she turned to Naruto and said in a semi-playful tone, "You said you wanted me to trust you, so you better not tell anyone…"

Naruto gave a wide smile as he turned to her and said, "I won't."

...

After they had walked a bit further, Sakura looked up ahead and said, "Is that Sasuke?..."

Naruto peered through the crowd and noticed the unmistakably spiky hair. He looked at him for a bit longer then said, "Yeah, I think so…"

The two of them started jogging towards him as Naruto yelled out, "Hey, TEME!"

Sasuke let out a small sigh and rolled his eyes in annoyance as he turned around partially. Sometimes it felt like Naruto couldn't keep a low profile if his life depended on it. And for some reason, his greeting was even more energetic than usual.

As they reached where he was, Naruto energetically said, "Hey! We thought it was you. What are you doing just walking around? I thought you had to get things ready for Orochimaru tomorrow."

Sasuke turned around fully and said, "I actually just finished setting up everything a few moments ago. I'm headed back to the apartment now."

Sakura said, "Well, if you're done, we should all get a bite to eat. You couldn't come earlier so let's make the most of the night we have left. It's only a few minutes past 8 o'clock, anyway."

Naruto gave him a small nudge and agreed. "She's right Sasuke. Tomorrow's gonna be a big day. Best to have some fun while you've still got the time to."

Sasuke thought about it and decided that they were probably right. Tomorrow would most likely be a pretty busy day with Orochimaru's arrival. Kicking back and relaxing a bit would probably be for the best. He looked around and said, "Where to then?"

Sakura thought about it for a second and said, "I'm not sure… I don't really have a place in mind." She was hungry, but not for anything in particular.

Sasuke tried to think of what he was in the mood for, but he wasn't in the mood for anything in particular either. He had already had some rice balls earlier so he didn't feel like having that again. Unlike Naruto, he would rather not eat his favorite food multiple times in a day.

As the two stood there in silence, Naruto remained quiet in the background waiting to see what they'd choose. He already knew what he wanted the most, but he wanted to be considerate of everyone else as well.

After being unable to decide on anything, Sasuke glanced at Naruto and said, "Let's just do Ichiraku's…"

Naruto wore a wide smile and said, "Sounds good to me."

Sasuke kept his same blank expression and said, "It always does…" Sakura couldn't help but giggle at the fact that Naruto always reacted the same way whenever he was about to have ramen. His reactions were a bit more controlled and mature since he was older, but it was still obvious that he really liked going to Ichiraku's.

Naruto noticed her giggling and asked, "What is it?"

Sasuke responded before Sakura could and said, "Maybe it's the fact that every time you're about to have ramen, you start smiling like a 4 year old that's about to get a piece of candy..."

"Hey! That's not true!" objected Naruto. He turned to Sakura and said, "That's not why you were laughing is it?"

Sakura kept walking and neither confirmed nor denied why she was laughing. Naruto let out a small huff and mumbled, "Traitor..." which brought an amused smile to her face.

...

As the three arrived at Ichiraku's, Naruto sat on the far left, Sakura sat in the middle, and Sasuke sat on the far right. The three made themselves comfortable as Teuchi and Ayame greeted them cheerfully. Naruto was about to order his usual Miso Chashu Pork Ramen, but Teuchi cut him off and said, "We already know what you guys are going to order. And don't even think about paying. This is the first time you all have come back to eat here as a real team. It's on the house!"

Naruto let out a wide grin and said, "Thanks!"

Sasuke and Sakura expressed their thanks as well, then Teuchi and Ayame got to working on their orders.

The three were sitting in relative silence, so Naruto decided to make conversation by asking Sasuke about how things were going with Orochimaru. "So what did you have to do to get ready for Orochimaru tomorrow?"

Sasuke kept his face neutral as he thought of an answer. He didn't really have all that much to do to prepare for Orochimaru's arrival. There was some work, but not as much as he had made it seem like. He had just used that as an excuse to give them some alone time. He gave a small shrug and said, "Just random stuff. I talked to Kakashi, took care of some paperwork. Stuff like that…"

Naruto smirked and said, "Come on, Teme. It's gotta be more interesting than that."

Sasuke remained blank faced and said, "Not really."

Naruto flared his nostrils a bit and said, "Well, that's pretty lame…"

Sasuke gave a small shrug and said, "Yeah, well at least you don't have to do it… In any case, what about you guys? Had a good training session?"

"Yeah. It was pretty fun." responded Naruto with a small nod.

Sasuke nodded and said, "Just what type of training did you guys do?"

Naruto replied, "Mainly some light sparring."

Sasuke nodded and said, "Nice."

After a few seconds had passed, he turned to Sakura and asked, "What happened to your hair?"

As Sakura recalled earlier events, she hid a small blush and started fidgeting with some of the items at the ramen bar before saying in a carefree voice, "It was nothing. Just a little accident…"

Sasuke replied with a monotone, "Oh." He took note of her very reserved reaction and decided to back off. Naturally he would be a little curious, but whatever happened must've been something she wanted to keep to herself. And if that was the case, then whatever had happened probably involved Naruto. He had noticed a variety of things that were off from her frizzier than usual hair to the significantly reduced bags under her eyes. He was considering using them to make conversation, but based on her initial reaction, he decided that it would probably be best to just leave things alone. Now that he thought about it, Naruto looked a little off as well. He was in an even better mood than usual, and that was saying something.

As the night went on, the conversations drifted into more casual territory. The three stayed away from talking about anything too serious since their main goal was to step back and take a break from things. After they had finished eating, they talked for a little while longer before finally saying their goodbyes and going their separate ways.

* * *

As Naruto and Sasuke walked back into the apartment, Sasuke said, "If you don't mind, I'm gonna take a shower. I've been traveling and working for a large part of the day and I'm trying to rest up for tomorrow."

Naruto dropped himself onto the couch and said, "Go for it. I'll just take one after."

"Thanks."

As Sasuke started to gather his clothes, Naruto relaxed back onto the couch as he started to think about the events of the day. It had been a great day for lack of a better word. He had been able to train twice, Sasuke was back, he got a free meal from Ichiraku's, and best of all, he had gotten the chance to spend some quality time with Sakura. Sure things had gotten a little out of hand, but there were times when it seemed like the attraction between them was mutual. It was reassuring to say the least. He knew that he liked her, but he always had a few doubts as to whether she felt the same way. Now it looked like that was actually the case.

He let out a small smile then said, "It's been a good day, hasn't it?" It wasn't really a question addressed to Sasuke. He was just thinking out loud. That didn't stop Sasuke from hearing it though.

Sasuke let out a small sigh and said, "What is it, Naruto?"

Naruto looked at him curiously and said, "What's what?"

Sasuke said, "You've been in a better mood than usual the whole night, and now, out of nowhere, you start talking about how it was a good day. Something's obviously got you in a good mood."

Naruto scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile and said, "Is it really that obvious?"

Sasuke responded in his usual monotone voice, "Yes."

Naruto let out a small laugh, then looked ahead with a soft smile and said, "I think Sakura-chan likes me…"

"Tch. I could've told you that a few hours ago…"

Naruto squinted at him and said, "Hahaha. Very funny."

Sasuke smirked and said, "To be honest, I probably could've told you that two weeks ago…"

Naruto wore an annoyed smile as he picked up one of the couch pillows then threw it at him with a wide smile and said, "Shut up!"

Sasuke gave a small smile as the pillow bounced off of him and hit the floor. He looked at Naruto with a more serious expression and said, "So what are you gonna do now?"

Naruto let out a deep sigh and said, "I don't know. Maybe I'll take your advice and go for it..." He relaxed back onto the couch and said, "But still, I don't wanna just rush into things, you know…"

Sasuke responded with a small nod, then said, "I hope it works out." as he walked towards the bathroom door.

Naruto gave a small smile and said, "Thanks. I appreciate it."

* * *

_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


	5. Helping Out

Ch. 5

Kakashi was walking at a leisurely pace as he took in the surrounding sights, smells and sounds. It was pretty early in the morning and the overhead sun marked a new day. He could hear the sounds of a few businesses getting started on their day and he could even pick up the faint smell of freshly cooked breakfast coming from the restaurants. He had already eaten, but the food smelled so good that he wouldn't have minded eating again.

As he took in the smells and sounds of the village, he couldn't ignore the heat of the rising sun. The sun wasn't too high up, but it was just high enough to let you know it was there. There were also a few scattered clouds stretching across the sky. They were fairly small so they had a serene air to them. He let out a small smile and thought to himself, _'Another day in the life…'_ as he continued in the direction of Naruto's apartment.

He was headed to Naruto's apartment for a very specific reason. Yesterday, Tsunade had told him that she needed some help at the hospital. She said that they were supposed to be receiving an influx of shipments over the next couple of days so she just wanted some help unloading everything. Usually there would be some hospital staff whose job it would be to take care of it, but Tsunade had ordered some equipment that she knew would be heavier than usual so she decided to give the usual receiving department staff the time off. Kakashi would've been busy if the Rain confirmed their attendance to the celebration ceremony tonight, but since they never responded he was free for the day. He was more than happy to help but he didn't feel like going alone. As a result, he had made sure to also offer Naruto's services. If he was going to be stuck at the hospital for the better part of the day, he had to make sure he wouldn't be stuck there alone. He would've nominated Sasuke as well, but he would definitely be busy with Orochimaru arriving today.

After walking a few more steps, he decided to stop enjoying the scenery and return to his one true love. He wore a smile that tugged at his mask as he pulled out his copy of Ichi Ichi Make-Out Tactics. He was a few blocks away from Naruto's apartment so he hoped that he'd get to finish a chapter before he arrived.

* * *

Upon arriving at Naruto's apartment door, he slammed the book shut with a happy smile. He had successfully finished the chapter he was reading as he arrived so he felt a little proud of himself. He probably shouldn't have since he was always a fast reader, but he decided to just take the win.

As he put the book back into his pouch, he gave Naruto's apartment door three loud knocks.

After waiting for a while with no response, he looked down at the floor mat and said, "I wonder…" He slowly lifted up the mat and saw the familiar spare key. He shook his head with a small smile and said, "Still hiding spare keys under doormats, huh, Naruto? And I thought you grew up in a ninja school…" The idiot could at least hide the key in a more uncommon place.

He stuck the key into the keyhole and slowly propped open the door. After walking in, he put the key back under the doormat then silently shut the door behind him and curiously said, "Anyone home?..."

He looked around and saw that the place was actually in relatively good shape. There were a few things out of place like clothes, but for the most part, things were actually pretty neat. He also noticed that there were two recently washed bowls on the kitchen counter along with the couch that Sasuke usually slept on. He looked at the couch and realized that Sasuke had to have headed out to take care of Orochimaru's arrival. But if that was the case, where was Naruto? Just as he thought that, he heard a thudding noise come from Naruto's room. The gray haired nin gave a small eye squint and said, "Naruto?..."

A few seconds later, Naruto stepped out of the room with an inquisitive stare and said, "Kakashi-Sensei. What're you doing here?"

Kakashi wore his usual lazy expression and said, "Morning to you too…"

Naruto closed his eyes as he gave a sheepish laugh and started scratching the back of his head. "My bad... Morning, Sensei."

After exchanging proper greetings, Naruto looked at Kakashi wide-eyed. For once, the infamous copy ninja was wearing more casual clothes. He was wearing a plain gray shirt, black pants, his usual footwear, his draped headband, and, of course, his mask. It was rare to see Kakashi in anything other than his usual Jonin outfit, so Naruto was a little suspicious. Naruto looked at him inquisitively and said, "So what's going on?..."

Kakashi looked at him and saw that he was dressed in nothing but a casual orange shirt and some semi-tight white boxers. He dropped his one visible eyebrow and said, "I'll tell you after you put on some clothes…" This was one of the few times Kakashi was glad that one of his eyeballs was covered most of the time.

Naruto realized what he was wearing then gave an uncomfortable laugh and said, "Oh yeah, sorry…" as he stepped towards the small table where he had left his pants.

Kakashi looked at him lazily and said, "Why are your pants out here anyway?"

Naruto picked them up and said, "It's just a habit from when I used to live alone."

Kakashi kept his same lazy stare and said, "News flash. You don't live alone anymore…"

As Naruto slipped into his pants, he shrugged and said, "Maybe, but it's just Sasuke. And when he gets those Uchiha properties, I'll be on my own again so there's no point changing anything."

Kakashi paused for a second then gave a small shrug and said, "Suit yourself..." He knew better than to try to start a discussion with Naruto about something this trivial. He could turn something as small as this into a full blown discussion.

As Naruto fastened his pants around his waist, he turned to Kakashi and asked, "What're you here for anyway?" still taking in the sight of a more casually dressed Kakashi.

Kakashi gave an eye-closed smile and said, "Oh yeah, about that…"

As soon as he said that, Naruto dropped his eyes into a squint then wrinkled his nose and said, "What did you do this time?"

Kakashi smiled and said, "Well today I was supposed to be preparing things for the Rain's arrival, but since they haven't confirmed their attendance…"

"You're basically free..." finished Naruto with a suspicious glance.

Kakashi nodded and said, "Yep! Or at least I thought it was…until Tsunade asked me to help out at the hospital."

Naruto looked at him with eyes full of suspicion and asked, "What does that have to do with me?..."

Kakashi paused for a second then wore a smile under his mask and said, "Well…I might've volunteered your services as well…"

Naruto let out a small sigh as he rolled his eyes and said, "There it is…" Now it made sense why Kakashi was dressed so casually. Not only was he off duty, but he knew that they were about to engage in manual labor.

Kakashi smiled and said, "Come on. It's not all that bad. Tsunade said that there's going to be an influx of shipments today, so she just needs some help unloading things. I figured you were the best person to help since you have your shadow clones."

After saying that, Kakashi waited to see what reaction Naruto would have. He was usually a pretty chill guy, so he probably wouldn't have a problem helping out. On top of that, Sakura was head medic at the hospital so he was sure Naruto would factor in that small piece of information…

Naruto thought about it for a second then gave a small shrug and said, "I guess…" He didn't really have any plans for the day, so he didn't mind helping out where it was needed. And as an added bonus, he might even get to see Sakura if he was lucky. He turned to Kakashi and said, "I assume we're leaving now?"

Kakashi nodded and said, "Yep. The sooner we finish helping at the hospital, the sooner we can leave to get ready for the ceremony tonight."

Naruto tilted his head and said, "It shouldn't take me that long to get ready for tonight."

Kakashi shook his head somewhat violently and said, "_Ohhhhhh no_. We need to upgrade your wardrobe so that you at least have something suitable for tonight. I'm pretty sure you've outgrown your old dress clothes due to your growth spurt…that is unless you've done some shopping recently?"

Naruto thought about it for a second then gave a small shrug and said, "No, I haven't… But it's not that big a deal."

Kakashi ignored him and said, "It's my treat. Think of it as a gift for helping out and keeping me company today."

Naruto gave a small shrug and said, "If you insist."

Kakashi nodded in agreement then looked at what Naruto was wearing. The orange shirt he was wearing wasn't too bad. It was a little on the tight side due to how he had grown, but it still reached comfortably past his waist. His black pants, however, looked baggy and old. Kakashi looked at him and said, "You should probably change your pants."

Naruto chuckled sheepishly and said, "Yeah, I guess you're right…" as he headed to his room to change into some newer pants before they headed out.

* * *

As the two walked into the main entrance of the hospital, Kakashi looked around to see if he could spot Tsunade anywhere. He would also settle for finding Sakura since she would probably know where Tsunade was. He looked around for a good minute, but the current Hokage was nowhere to be found. What he did find, however, were the coy looks that some of the female staff were casting towards Naruto. Kakashi had noticed that after bringing in Hikan and going back to his normal self, people had started treating him like the war hero again. He was definitely popular with the kids and the ladies at this point. It was still a little weird how many more glances he was getting today though. He looked towards Naruto and immediately understood why. The shirt he was wearing subtly hinted at his powerful physique. The shirt wasn't tight enough to be a muscle shirt, but the way it hugged his body definitely invited people to take another look. He wore a small smile then leaned towards him and whispered, "I think you have some admirers."

Naruto wore a small smirk and whispered back, "I know."

Kakashi turned with a wide grin and said, "Ahhhhh. Impressive. You're a lot more perceptive than you used to be…"

Naruto smiled and said, "Since I've gotten older, I've had some missions that were very…..enlightening."

Kakashi started laughing and said, "I'll bet you have…"

...

They walked around the 1st floor of the hospital for a bit longer before Kakashi spotted Tsunade exiting a patient's room. He gave a small wave and greeted her with his usual, "Yo."

Tsunade returned the greeting then turned to Naruto and said, "So Kakashi managed to kidnap you after all..."

Naruto smiled and jokingly said, "Nah, this time he didn't have to. I don't mind helping out."

Tsunade smiled then gave him a small nudge and said, "Good." She was glad that Naruto was always so available and ready to help out if he was needed. It was hard to find reliable people nowadays so she put a high value on people like Naruto.

She looked down the hallway and pointed to a sign attached to the roof. "Follow those signs to the receiving department. The shipments should be marked, so you guys will be able to see which floor to bring them too. Some of the equipment arrived last night and some of it arrived this morning. From what I've heard, we're gonna be receiving more until maybe 4 o'clock." She looked at her watch and said, "It's around 9:30 now so you guys should probably get to work."

The two nodded as they took their leave then Tsunade got back to work as well.

...

As Kakashi and Naruto walked through the double doors of the receiving department, the two of them abruptly stopped at the sight of what looked like over 100 boxes stacked haphazardly on top of each other. Naruto examined the huge pile and slowly turned to look at Kakashi. Kakashi gave a sheepish smile and said, "Well she did say there would be an influx…"

Naruto looked up at the boxes wide eyed and said, "This isn't an influx... This is a mountain..."

Kakashi shrugged and said, "Well, best to just get used to it. This is probably just the tip of the iceberg if more shipments are coming in later." He stepped forward to pick up one of the heavier boxes and said, "Better get to work." as he walked back into the hospital to move the box inside.

Naruto looked at the huge pile of boxes with a wide grin and cracked his knuckles. "Like he said, time to get to work..."

He proceeded to make a multitude of shadow clones which started to carry the boxes into the hospital. The smaller boxes were carried by single shadow clones, while groups of two carried the larger ones.

Meanwhile, the real Naruto made sure to get a box that was headed to the 3rd floor. If Sakura was in her usual rotation with her patients, he was pretty sure she'd be up there somewhere. He was sure she'd be a bit busy, so he decided that if he saw her he'd just say hi to let her know he was there.

* * *

Kakashi was now on the 2nd floor standing outside a small storage room. He checked the label on the box he was carrying to make sure he was in the right place then lightly kicked the door open and said, "This is it." as he set the box on the floor. He turned around and walked out only to be nearly ran over by two Naruto clones carrying a larger than life box. The two clones looked at him with a nervous smile and exclaimed, "Oops! Sorry Sensei!" before continuing on their current course. Kakashi stepped out of the room with a hint of apprehension and was left wide eyed as he saw a swarm of Naruto clones checking labels and delivering boxes all over the 2nd floor. He shouldn't be surprised since Naruto had no problem making thousands of shadow clones at once, but it was still weird to see a whole bunch of Narutos running around. He blinked a few times to recover from the shock then simply shook his head in amusement as he returned to the receiving department. He passed multiple shadow clones on the way and arrived to find that not one box had been left. He knew that Naruto's shadow clones would come in handy, but this was an unexpected turn of events. Kakashi gave a small chuckle then pulled out Ichi Ichi Make Out Tactics as he sat down on one of the chairs and waited for the shadow clones to finish making the deliveries.

...

Naruto and a good amount of his clones walked onto the 3rd floor and started searching for the correct rooms to put the boxes. Most of the boxes were headed to a storage room near the 3rd floor entrance, but a select few were headed deeper into the building. The clones with small boxes dropped them off in the storage room, then the real Naruto and a few of his clones started walking deeper into the hospital. They were halted by Shizune who stepped in front of them with a patient's folder resting under her arm. He looked a little taken aback but regained his composure as he gave one of his usual smiles and said, "I'm making deliveries."

Shizune smiled and said, "I know, but right now this area is only open to staff. You can put the box down over there." pointing to an open space nearby. She wasn't sure why, but Sakura had been pretty adamant that no one enter that specific area today, even after the news of Naruto's arrival.

Naruto smiled and said, "Come on Shizune-san. You can let me in."

Shizune gave a shrug that showed it was nothing personal and said, "Sorry. No can do. Head medic's orders."

The blond nin inquired in a somewhat saddened tone, "Does she know I'm here?" as he kept hoping that she didn't know he was around when she gave the order.

Shizune examined him from head to toe then raised an eyebrow and said, "Naruto, I'm pretty sure _everyone_ knows you're here…"

Naruto wore a somewhat abashed expression as he glanced around to see that most of the people in their vicinity were looking in his direction, especially those in the female population. He let out a shy chuckle and said, "Hope I'm not causing too much trouble…"

Shizune gave a small head shake and said, "If you can do all the work you just did in so little time, I'm sure we'll be ok."

After she said that, she noticed him looking past her shoulder to see if he could find Sakura. She quickly stepped into his line of sight to block his view then said, "This area is still off limits though…" If he actually saw Sakura in there, there would be little to no chance of actually being able to stop him from weaseling his way in somehow.

Naruto gave a small nod then wore a fake smile to try to hide his disappointment over the annoying obstacle that was now in his way. What made it more irritating was the fact that it seemed like Sakura was the one who had put the obstacle in their way. He had been to the hospital enough times to know that the area they were in was usually open to everyone. He tried to shrug it off and just tell himself that maybe she was busy so she didn't want any distractions. Regardless of the reason they couldn't see each other, he felt a little disappointed since it was a part of the day that he was really looking forward to.

He set the box down where Shizune had said then turned around to walk away. Before he was too far away, he turned back towards her with a wide smile and said, "You know, _technically_, I am part of the staff…at least for today." trying to make one last effort to get access.

Shizune started laughing as she pushed him by his back and said, "_Medical_ staff only. But you get an A for effort..."

Sakura was peeking from out of one of the rooms and let out a small sigh of relief as she saw Shizune successfully turn Naruto around. Tsunade had told her early in the morning that Naruto would probably be around. It was a tough decision, but she had decided to keep him at a distance until she could figure out things between them. She was already starting to regret it as she saw him walking away dejected. She was pretty sure he was looking forward to seeing her so it hurt a bit more to know that she was the reason he wouldn't get to. She was really looking forward to seeing him too, but she felt like taking a step back was what they needed…or at least what she needed.

She let out a small sigh then turned around and found herself face to face with an obviously ticked off Ino. She stood there with her arms crossed and her face wrinkled into a disapproving frown. Sakura blinked a few times in surprise and said, "What's the matter?..."

The confused blond turned to her with a look of exasperation and said, "For someone with such a big forehead, you sure don't use your brain… You two finally start getting closer and you're pushing him away?"

As Sakura realized Ino had been watching her, she sat down with a chagrined expression and replied, "Why are you up here anyway? Shouldn't you be on another floor right about now?..."

Ino propped a hand on her hip and said, "Flower delivery. And don't try to change the subject."

Sakura looked away and replied, "I'm just a little busy..."

Ino shook her head disapprovingly and said, "Liar. Things are just now starting to slow down around here..."

Sakura dropped her eyes in annoyance at how perceptive Ino was, then finally resigned herself and said, "I'm not pushing him away. I just need some time to figure things out…"

Ino shook her head and said, "Forehead, you may not feel like you're pushing him away, but the look on his face says that that's what it felt like. Do you know how hard it is to find a guy who likes you so much that he wants to see you _every single day?…_" She switched to a softer tone and said, "You should be happy. Welcome him, don't push him away."

Sakura looked away feeling a bit more guilty and softly said, "We're in a good place right now. I'm just trying to avoid messing up things between us by moving too fast…"

Ino looked at her with a bit of pity and said, "But, Forehead, by pushing him away, that's exactly what you're doing… If you don't get over this fear of messing things up, that fear is gonna be exactly what messes things up."

Sakura finally looked up to her and said, "So what should I do? Just act like everything is gonna work out and hope it does?…"

Ino let out a sigh and said, "I'm not saying to do that, but what I am saying is that right now, it just sounds like you're trying to find excuses not to be with him. First you said that you were busy, then you said you needed time to figure things out, and now you're saying that you're afraid of messing things up. I think those might be real concerns, but what's the real issue?"

Sakura considered the question then slowly looked away until she was facing one of the windows in the room. _'So there is something else…'_ thought the curious blonde.

After a moment of silence, Ino said, "Don't make me have to read your mind…"

Sakura turned to her with a pinched lip and said, "I thought we agreed you'd never do that without my permission."

Ino wore a smug smile and retorted, "I agreed to that when I didn't have to read your mind to know what you were thinking. All bets are off now…"

Sakura gave a menacing eye squint, but Ino wasn't budging. She crossed her arms in defiance and said, "I'm still waiting, Forehead."

Sakura crossed her arms so as to indicate she wasn't budging either.

After a semi-intense stare down, Ino finally let out a loud sigh and said, "I'm not really gonna try to force my way into your head..." She had been bluffing the whole time and she was pretty sure Sakura knew it as well. Unfortunately, it didn't look like Sakura was ready to talk about whatever it was at the moment.

Ino let her arms drop to her side and said in an understanding voice, "Look, Forehead… I'm your friend. And I just want what's best for you, so I'm gonna give you one piece of advice... Whatever the real issue is, deal with it." With that, the young blonde turned to take her leave. She had done all she could to help, the rest was in Sakura's hands.

As she stepped towards the door, she was halted by Sakura who was now speaking in a softer tone of voice. "I just don't feel like I deserve him, Ino…"

Ino paused for a second, then stepped back into the room and sat down next to her. There was a moment of silence as Sakura's words hung in the air. Ino would've said something, but it felt like Sakura still had more to say.

After a few more moments of silence, Sakura smiled and said, "He's kind. He's thoughtful. He's generous. He's got a heart of gold. He's just..." Sakura gave a small shrug finding herself at a loss for words.

Ino smiled and said, "He's Naruto."

Sakura turned with a tender smile and said, "Yeah..." feeling that her friend really understood what she was saying.

Ino wore a small smile and said, "Sakura, I'm not sure there's anyone out there who deserves Naruto. The guy saves people for a living!" She gave Sakura a small nudge and jokingly said, "Plus he's got that hot bod."

Sakura laughed a little and said, "I guess you're right."

Ino teasingly said, "About his hot bod?"

Sakura rolled her eyes with a smile tugging at her lips and replied, "About_ everything…"_

Ino laughed to herself then said, "You bet I am..."

After a few seconds had passed, Ino said, "Maybe instead of focusing on what anyone deserves, you should try focusing on what you both want. Just by how he acts around you, I can tell that he likes you. And I know you like him too, Forehead. No matter how much you guys try to keep it on the down low..."

Sakura wore a small smile knowing that Ino was right. She had no doubt in her mind that they liked each other. Whenever they were together, there was a mutual sense of joy between them, and there was also an attraction that was undeniable.

After thinking about it for a bit, she turned to Ino and said, "I'll think about what you said..."

Ino nodded then stood up abruptly and said, "You better. In case you haven't noticed, Naruto is currently Konoha's most eligible bachelor. Take too long and some random girl is gonna come snatch him from right under your nose." She wore a naughty smile and said, "Heck, if I see you're taking too long, I might even give it a go..."

Sakura dropped her eyes disapprovingly and said, "Aren't you supposed to be with Sai, Pig?"

Ino looked up as if she had forgotten and said, "Oh yeah, I guess you're right... But even if I'm out of the picture, it still doesn't mean some random girl won't snatch him up."

Sakura smiled gently and said, "Naruto's not like that..." After thinking about it for a second, she wore an affectionate smile and finished, "He would wait for me..."

Ino thought about it for a bit then nodded and said, "Yeah he would... So try not to make him have to."

Sakura gave a small nod of agreement before the two separated and returned to their previous activities.

* * *

Tsunade stormed through the double doors of the receiving department and started glaring at Kakashi so hard that he was sure she would burn a hole in his book. Kakashi stood up and apprehensively said, "What's the problem?"

Tsunade took a deep breath to calm herself then said through gritted teeth, "Your student is distracting my patients...and a great portion of my female staff..."

Kakashi gave an eye closed smile and said, "I don't find any of those things surprising..."

Tsunade dropped her eyebrows and said, "Just tell him to try to keep a low profile while he works... And no mingling with my patients!" before storming back into the hospital.

Kakashi sat back down and said, "Yes Ma'am." as he continued his reading.

A few moments later, Naruto's clones finished all of the deliveries and he dispersed them so that only his real body was left.

Kakashi waited until he was in earshot and spoke without even looking up from his book. "You could've at least left one more box for me…"

Naruto smiled and said, "You're the one who said get to work, so I got to work. It's not my fault you can't keep up!"

Kakashi chuckled at how his own words were being used against him and said, "Right..."

After a while, he remembered Tsunade's visit and said, "By the way, Tsunade wants you to keep a low profile. She says you're distracting her patients, and a large portion of her female staff..." He wore an obvious grin while saying the last part.

Naruto gave a nervous chuckle and said, "I'll keep that in mind."

...

The two continued to work throughout the day. Naruto would use his shadow clones to quickly take care of most of the work while leaving a few boxes for Kakashi. They kept working in that same pattern until around 3:30 PM. The last of the shipments had arrived a little sooner than expected so they actually ended up finishing a little early.

As soon as the last of the boxes had been delivered, Kakashi turned to Naruto and said, "We actually ended up finishing a little earlier than expected."

The proud blonde responded with sarcastic pompousness and said, "Of course we did. You've got me!"

Kakashi smiled and said, "Yeah I guess you did do your fair share..." being unable to deny how much quicker things had gotten done with Naruto's help.

After Kakashi informed Tsunade that they were done with the shipments for the day, the two headed out of the hospital with a bit of a pep in their step. Getting a job done early always felt refreshing. They started heading in the direction of the clothing shop Kakashi was planning on going to, but on their way, Kakashi noticed that Naruto looked a little out of it. He didn't look like he was necessarily in a bad mood, he just looked like he was thinking about a lot of things. Kakashi turned and said, "What's on your mind?"

Naruto brushed him off and said, "Nothing much." deciding to keep his thoughts to himself.

Kakashi let out a small smile since he was pretty sure he already knew what was bugging him. He had also been stopped by Shizune on the 3rd floor so he was aware that Naruto probably hadn't got to see Sakura. Normally he would meddle, but he decided not to since Sasuke was already on the case. He could still try to cheer him up though.

Kakashi stretched his arms behind him a little and said, "I'm actually feeling a little hungry. Since you helped us finish so quickly, we'll go to Ichiraku's before we find you some dress clothes."

Naruto started smiling and said, "You're being awfully generous today, Sensei." already feeling a little better about the day.

Kakashi kept facing forward and said, "If it's too much, stop me now..."

Naruto shook his head violently and said, "No way. I like this generous Kakashi-Sensei... Wish I saw him more often..."

Kakashi smirked and said, "Don't push your luck, kid…"

...

The two grabbed lunch at Ichiraku's, then went to go buy Naruto his new dress clothes as planned. The celebration ceremony was supposed to be a formal event so Kakashi decided it would be best if he just went with a simple but sleek black suit for Naruto. He also threw in an orange tie to create some contrast and to appease Naruto's penchant for the color orange. After they were both satisfied with how Naruto's outift had come together, they purchased everything and gave their thanks to those running the business and headed outside.

As they walked away from the store, Kakashi turned to Naruto and said, "Catch." as he tossed him a small blue box. Naruto caught it then looked at it curiously and asked, "What's this?"

"Cologne. We can't have you smelling like ramen tonight now can we..."

Naruto examined it a bit closer and said, "Is this the cologne you wear?"

Kakashi dropped his one visible eye and said, "No...but they let me sample it in the store. I think it fits you..."

Naruto looked at it with a deep sense of appreciation and softly said, "Thanks, Sensei..." Kakashi simply waved him off as if it didn't cost him anything.

Naruto turned to look at the small box again with a gentle smile. Throughout the day Kakashi had been taking care of him from Ichiraku's, to his outfit, and now this. He let out a small smile and thought to himself that maybe this was what having a dad for a day would be like...

After walking a little further, Kakashi looked at the time. 5:15 PM. He turned to Naruto and said, "This is where we part ways. The ceremony is at 7 o'clock... _Don't_ be late."

Naruto chuckled and said, "I won't and thanks _for everything._" as he slightly lifted up the bag with his new dress clothes.

Kakashi gave a small nod and said, "Don't sweat it." then the two went their separate ways.

* * *

_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


	6. Celebration

Ch. 6

As Naruto finished tightening his tie, he stepped towards the mirror in his room to see how everything had come together. The black suit had a light but noticeable shine to it that enhanced its already sleek look. It was also extremely well fitted. He raised an eyebrow in approval for how well the shop had fitted him. He had tried to tell them that the fit wasn't that big of a deal, but they had insisted with him being the war hero and all. Now he was glad they hadn't listened to him.

After he had finished appreciating the fit of the suit, he turned his attention to his orange tie. The surrounding dark suit made it pop a lot more than it would otherwise. _'Kakashi knew what he was doing when he helped put this outfit together…_' he thought.

After looking at himself for a bit longer, he wore an eye closed smile and said, "I think I look pretty good huh, Kurama?"

Kurama opened one eye to examine him then said**, "Yeah, you look pretty sharp. I wonder how you would've looked if you went with your first plan and just wore some of your old dress clothes..."**

Naruto squinted slightly at the jab that had been thrown at him then silently said, "It didn't sound like a bad idea at the time…"

Kurama scoffed and said, **"I'm sure…"**

Naruto waved him off playfully and said, "Just shut up Kurama…"

Kurama laughed a bit then gave a small shrug and said, **"You asked…"**

After a short pause, he let both of his eyes open and asked, "**You think she'll be there tonight?"**

Naruto thought about it for a second, then wore a sad smile and said, "Probably not. I think that tonight is one of those nights where she'll have to stay at the hospital until late at night. I was hoping that the Rain would confirm their attendance so that she'd have to be there, but no such luck."

Kurama dropped his head a bit and said, **"Sorry kid…"** noting Naruto's disappointment.

Naruto never liked being a killjoy, so he gave a small shrug and said, "It's alright, Kurama. You know me. I'll just make the most of tonight with what I've got!" as he balled up a fist in determination.

Kurama smiled at Naruto's upbeat attitude and said, **"That's the spirit, kid…"**

Naruto responded with a small smile then started getting ready to leave. He picked up the bottle of cologne Kakashi had gifted him then looked at it with a bit of curiosity and said, "I wonder what it smells like…" He had never been big on cologne although he had owned some in the past.

He sprayed a bit on his wrist then lifted it until it was about an inch from his nose. After a few seconds, he noticed that the fragrance had a powerful citrusy smell to it, but after a while, he could pick up some underlying woodsy vibes.

After fully taking in the smell, Naruto looked at it with a sense of awe and said, "This smells awesome!" as he took another whiff. The woodsy smells gave the fragrance an enticing air while the powerful citrusy vibe gave a subtle nod to his energetic personality.

Kurama watched him with a bit of amusement and said, **"Stay here smelling that thing and you're gonna be late…"**

Naruto brushed him off and said, "I've got time..." as he turned towards the clock by his bed. 6:47 PM. Naruto went wide-eyed then gave an embarrassed head scratch and said, "Maybe I'll head out now though…"

Kurama shook his head with a smile and said, **"That would be wise."**

Naruto chuckled nervously then quickly sprayed some cologne around his neck and on his wrists before heading towards his apartment door. He gave a small shrug and said, "Hope I didn't overdo it." as he stepped out and started heading towards the building where the ceremony would be held.

As Naruto arrived at the venue, he saw that there was actually a good amount of people from the village attending the ceremony. He was a little shocked to see so many people all things considered. Everyone in the village was welcome if they had registered, but he had thought that attendance would be poor due to the people not being receptive to Orochimaru. He could now see that he was wrong in some capacity since there were a fair amount of people attending.

He walked over to the entrance then stated his name to the man who was letting people in. The man let him in quickly and insisted that the great war hero needed no introduction. Naruto courteously nodded in respect then headed inside hoping to find someone he knew. He was used to the attention and praise from people, but it was always nice to be genuinely appreciated.

As he walked into the venue, he caused a bit of a commotion being the war hero and all, but he had been in the spotlight long enough to know how to handle it. After getting away from the crowd, he looked around to see that the place had been very lavishly decorated. The color theme was a very elegant red and gold which gave the place a sense of importance and regality among other things. There were several tables scattered around the venue for the dining portion of the ceremony although no one was sitting down yet. It looked like everyone was either exploring the beautiful venue or holding their own little private conversations.

The building also had some decorated stairs leading up to a 2nd story balcony that had a speaking platform. He looked up at it for a little while longer, then thought to himself, _'That's probably where everyone's gonna give their speeches. Those long…boring…speeches….'_

He was knocked loose of his thoughts by a familiar voice. "When I saw a large majority of the people start making a commotion at the entrance, I knew you were probably here."

Naruto realized who was talking then grinned and replied, "I told you I was more popular now…" He turned around to see the dark-haired Uchiha walking up to him. He was wearing a black suit as well, but with a distinctly red tie. It seemed fitting with his Sharingan and all. Naruto nodded in approval and said, "You're looking pretty sharp."

Sasuke reached where he was, then gave a small smile and said, "Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself." He turned towards a large clock hanging on the wall to his left and said, "I'm surprised you're on time."

Naruto gave a small chuckle and said, "First Kakashi got on me about being late, now you."

Sasuke scoffed and said, "You know it's bad if Kakashi got on you about being late. He's always late himself…"

Naruto gave a small shrug and said, "He didn't really get on me about it, he just warned me not to be late tonight."

Sasuke gave a slight shrug and said, "At least you listened."

Naruto nodded in agreement then started looking around to see if Orochimaru was inside. If Sasuke was around he shouldn't be too far away.

After looking around for a bit and not seeing him, he turned to Sasuke and asked, "So where's Orochimaru?"

Sasuke nodded towards the entrance and said, "He's supposed to be entering with his people a few minutes from now. Tsunade and Kakashi will enter then as well. It's their way of solidifying the fact that we're allies now."

Naruto nodded in understanding and said, "That makes sense. Gotta keep up appearances…"

Sasuke gave a small nod and said, "Yeah, something like that…"

As the two nin stood there conversing, they were pulled out of their conversation by the entrance of another guest. The guest was causing a bit of a commotion as they entered although not to the same extent as Naruto's entrance. Naruto looked towards the door and said, "I wonder who that is..." Sasuke's face remained neutral, but he kept his eyes fixed towards the doorway as well.

After a while, the two saw distinctively pink hair moving through the small crowd that had gathered. Naruto focused a little harder and said under his breath, "No way…"

A few moments later, Naruto watched as none other than Sakura emerged from the crowd. She was wearing a sparkly green dress that ran down to her ankles, but with a small slit running up a bit past her knee. She also had a simple but elegant gold necklace encircling her neck and a thin gold bracelet on her right arm. She was also a little taller due to the cream-colored heels she was wearing.

Sasuke wore a small smirk as Naruto stood looking at her like a man entranced. He knew how the two felt about each other, but it was still interesting to see how they acted around each other. He gave him a small nudge and said, "If you take a picture it'll last longer…"

Naruto closed his slightly gaping mouth as he turned to Sasuke with a squint and said, "Very funny, Teme… I thought she was working the night shift tonight."

Sasuke replied with a small shrug but remained blank-faced as usual.

Meanwhile, Sakura didn't know what to think. Sasuke had said that Naruto wouldn't be able to attend because he was busy. That was the only reason she had decided to do him a favor and leave Shizune to manage things at the hospital for the night. Now she found herself standing there a few feet away from him. If she had known he'd be here, she might've tried a little harder than usual to look her best… She looked away a little shyly as she looked to see what he was wearing. Even at first glance, she could tell that he looked sharp, but upon further examination, she could see that not only did his black suit give him an incredibly sleek look, it fit him perfectly and subtly displayed his powerful physique. He looked _cut_. And on top of that, his orange tie fit him and his personality so well… As she took in the full sight of him, she had to admit something she had been trying to run from for a while. Her young idiot blond friend had grown to be very attractive…especially with those whiskers she loved so much. She wore an affectionate smile and silently thought to herself_, 'Looks like you were right Ino. He is Konaha's most eligible bachelor…'_

After thinking about it for a while, she gave a small shudder then decided it would be better to approach them to at least say hi. They had already seen her by now, so there was no avoiding it anyway.

As she reached where the two of them were standing, she was greeted by Naruto who gave an enthusiastic wave and said, "Hey Sakura-chan. You look great!"

Sakura smiled and said, "Thanks, you clean up pretty nice too." but the only thing she could really think was, _'I would've looked even better if I'd known you were coming…'_

She exchanged greetings with Sasuke as well, then turned to Naruto and said, "I didn't know you'd be here."

Naruto scratched the back of his head and said, "Yeah, I didn't know you'd be here either. I thought you worked the night shift today."

Sakura looked a bit taken aback and said, "I canceled my shift so I could be here. Sasuke said you were gonna be too busy to come tonight… He didn't tell you?"

Naruto let out a suspicious eye squint towards Sasuke sensing that something was up and said, "No, he left out that bit..."

Sasuke gave a small shrug then coolly said, "Must've slipped my mind…" then quickly excused himself by saying, "Why don't I leave you two alone…" as he started walking towards the drink bar.

The two were left dumbfounded as they realized that they'd been set up. The two shared an awkward glance before simultaneously turning to look at Sasuke's retreating form. Naruto stayed wide-eyed with a somewhat blank expression. Sasuke was the last person he would expect to be meddling in anything, although, if he was honest, he wasn't mad at him for doing it. He just thought that it would've helped if he'd at least given him a heads up.

Sakura, on the other hand, had one thought reverberating in her brain. _'I'm gonna kill him…' _She always hated it when people meddled in her business. And the fact that it was Sasuke, of all people, made it worse…

Naruto was watching her reaction and let out a small chuckle. She was squinting her eyes so hard that it looked like they were almost shut, her nose was excessively wrinkled, she had one hand on her hip, and she had a very noticeable angry frown on her face.

As he was standing there chuckling to himself, Sakura turned to him and said, "What's so funny?"

Naruto finally stopped laughing then turned towards where Sasuke was and said, "From the look on your face, I wouldn't want to be him right about now."

Sakura paused for a second, then looked towards Sasuke with a small squint and said, "No, you wouldn't…" as the awkward atmosphere between them started to diminish.

Naruto smiled back and decided to try to ease into things. He knew this was harder for her than it was for him, so he wanted her to be comfortable as usual. He nodded towards the bar and said, "Maybe I can get you a drink. All of the waiters are passing out champagne and I know you like to stay away from alcohol."

Sakura thought about it then replied, "I'd like that…" wearing a small smile at how well he knew her. After thinking about it for a bit longer, she said, "I'll probably have to drink some alcohol tonight anyway if there's some kind of toast though."

Naruto shrugged and said, "Yeah I guess, but at least you won't have to drink much." as he turned around to head to the bar.

Sakura nodded in agreement then called out, "Naruto."

Naruto turned back around halfway and said, "What is it?"

Sakura wore an eye closed smile and said, "Please make sure to give Sasuke a good knock upside the head. My treat…"

Naruto smiled and said, "Will do!" as he kept walking towards the bar.

Sasuke was now sitting down at the bar with his hand wrapped around his drink that was resting on the table. Without warning, he felt a very forceful knock upside the head. It wasn't enough for him to let out an exclamation of pain, but it did make him flinch abruptly from the harsh contact.

Sakura let out a stifled giggle since she wasn't sure that Naruto would be bold enough to actually hit Sasuke like that in public. She wore a small smile and shook her head. He wasn't known to be unpredictable for nothing.

Sasuke turned around to see that it was exactly who he thought it was. Naruto. He let out a small sigh then turned back towards the bar and said, "What was that for? I thought you'd be happy she was here…"

Naruto wore a wide smile and said, "That wasn't from me. It was from Sakura-chan."

Sasuke slowly turned to look in Sakura's direction. The glare she was giving him felt like it was more dangerous than his Sharingan so he slowly turned back around and said, "Got it…"

Naruto ordered drinks for him and Sakura then sat down next to Sasuke and said, "You could've at least told me what you were planning…."

Sasuke took a small sip of his drink and said in his usual monotone voice, "I thought it'd be a nice surprise. And besides, I owed you one. Now we're even."

Naruto shook his head and said, "Kakashi-sensei was in on it too wasn't he?"

"I had to register Sakura through him, so it couldn't be avoided."

Naruto smiled a bit and said, "I knew it was a little weird how he was being extra generous today…"

Sasuke responded with a small shrug and then took another sip of his drink.

Naruto let out a small chuckle and said, "You all are crazy…" as the waiter handed him the drinks he had ordered. As he stood up with the drinks in his hand, he turned to Sasuke with a small smile and said, "In any case, thanks for this…I really appreciate it."

Sasuke gave a small shrug of acknowledgment before finishing off his drink and asking for a refill.

Before Naruto could take another step, the two were interrupted by a man at the entrance who was announcing the arrival of the Leader of the Leaf and the Leader of the Sound. As everyone directed their attention towards the entrance, the main doors opened revealing Tsunade, Kakashi, and Orochimaru. Tsunade was wearing a very elegant black dress befitting of the Hokage; Kakashi was wearing a black suit with a black dress shirt, but a distinctly silver tie that was around the same color as his hair; and Orochimaru was wearing a gray suit with a black dress shirt and black tie. There was a round of applause as they all walked in as allies and headed up the stairs to the 2nd balcony.

Naruto noticed that the crowd's applause was a bit awkward at first, but eventually, everyone warmed up and the applause had a fuller sound to it. He also noticed that standing a short distance behind the three was Suigetsu, Jugo and Karin. They remained on the 1st floor and eventually joined in the applause with the rest of the crowd.

After Tsunade had given a brief introduction to the ceremony, she announced that the first part of the ceremony would have a more relaxed tone. She encouraged the people to talk, make new connections and even try out the dance floor if they wanted to. The real reason for the delay of the formal part of the ceremony was because rumor had it that the Rain might attend tonight. As a result, Tsunade had sent a final message to the Rain and explained that they would wait for a little to see if they would show. They had also informed them that if they didn't respond or show up, they wouldn't be formally inducted into the Shinobi Union and their membership status would be revoked. It wasn't what they wanted to happen, but their actions had to have consequences.

When Tsunade had finished her speech, the people started to talk amongst themselves, and before long, the room was filled with friendly conversations and interactions.

Naruto knew the real reason for the delay of the ceremony, so he turned to Sasuke and said, "I want to see a peaceful shinobi world, but I still don't want the Rain joining the Union. Is that wrong?"

Sasuke quickly turned his attention back to Naruto and said, "What did you say?"

Naruto looked at him suspiciously and said, "What were you looking at?" It wasn't often that Sasuke was caught off guard. If something had his attention, it had to be something interesting.

Sasuke took another sip of his drink and said in a relaxed voice, "Nothing."

Naruto gave him another suspicious look then turned to see what he had been looking at. Naruto started grinning from ear to ear as he saw Karin talking with Suigetsu on the other side of the room. Naruto wore the cheesiest grin Sasuke had ever seen, then gave him a small nudge and said, "I think that nothing was something…"

Sasuke kept facing the bar and calmly said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Naruto nodded towards Karin and said, "Come on Teme. I saw you staring at her…" He raised an eyebrow and said in his mock Sasuke voice, "You know if you take a picture it'll last longer…"

Sasuke wore a small smirk at how his own words were being thrown in his face, but maintained his position and resolutely stated, "I wasn't staring at her."

Naruto wasn't about to let him get out of it that easily. He knew how to make Sasuke give up this little charade of his. He gave a small shrug and said, "Fine...but you had to have been staring at somebody…" He raised an eyebrow with a devious smile and said, "Have you told Suigetsu how you really feel?"

Sasuke realized what Naruto was implying then turned to glare at him and finally said through gritted teeth, "_Fine_…I was staring at her. Happy?"

Naruto wore a wide smile and said, "Very!"

Sasuke turned back towards the bar and said, "You're annoying…"

Naruto ignored him and said, "Come on Teme. Fill me in."

Sasuke looked down at his glass and said, "Aren't you supposed to be getting a drink for Sakura?"

Naruto thought about it then said, "Yeah, you're right… So just give me the abridged version!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes then finally resigned himself and said, "Look, we started talking while I was in the Sound and that's all I'm gonna say, so just go worry about keeping Sakura close and leave me alone."

Naruto gave a small shrug and said, "I can live with that…for now."

As he started walking away, he wore a wide smile and said, "Just know that you and me are gonna be spending a _looooooot _of time together pal…"

Sasuke wore a small smirk then scoffed and said, "Get out of here..."

Naruto smiled as he walked back towards Sakura with drinks in hand. As he arrived, she smiled and said, "I was beginning to think you'd forgot about me."

Naruto chuckled as he handed her the drink then said, "Sorry, but I only took so long because I was getting some very interesting news…"

Sakura looked at him curiously and said, "What was it?"

Naruto opened his mouth to start talking then stopped himself and said, "I'm actually not sure I can tell you…"

Sakura gave a small smile and said, "You know you can tell me anything."

Naruto put a hand on his chin and said, "Yeah, I know. It's just that it's not about me…"

As he thought about whether he should say anything, he looked past Sakura's shoulder and noticed that Karin had already walked over to Sasuke and was now sitting next to him at the bar. She must've been waiting for them to finish talking. They seemed to be engaging in light conversation from what Naruto could see. He decided that he would show Sakura instead of saying anything. If she saw for herself, he technically didn't say anything, right?

He looked at Sakura for a second then subtly nodded over her shoulder in Sasuke and Karin's direction. Sakura slowly peeked behind her shoulder then quickly turned back to Naruto and whispered, _"Say whaaaat?"_

Naruto took a sip of his drink and said, "Yep. Looks like Teme's got a girlfriend."

Sakura thought about it for a second, then wore a genuine smile as she took a sip of her drink and said, "Good for him…"

Naruto nodded and said, "Yeah. He said they started talking back when he was in the Sound. Don't tell anyone else. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be comfortable with anyone else knowing but us."

Sakura nodded and said, "I won't." knowing that Sasuke was a pretty private person.

Just then, Ino walked up to the two of them and greeted them with her usual upbeat attitude. Naruto greeted her enthusiastically as well, but his main thought was, _'Definitely can't let her find out about Teme.'_

Meanwhile, Sakura was wondering how many of her friends would be attending this ceremony without her knowledge. First Naruto and now Ino.

After talking for a while, Ino looked at Sakura up and down and said, "Hey, we've got similar taste!"

Sakura looked at Ino's outfit and saw that they were both wearing similarly colored green dresses. They were different in some respects, but the green color was very similar. Before Sakura could get out a sentence, Ino raised an eyebrow and said, "Maybe we'll have a contest to see who wore it best…"

Sakura dropped her eyes and sarcastically said, "Yippee…"

Ino flicked her long flowy blond hair and said, "I understand if you're scared you won't be able to compete." trying to continue the friendly rivalry between them.

Sakura gave her a small smile and said, "Ino please, I'm barely trying, and I could take you on…"

Ino wore a competitive smile and said, "Bring it, Forehead."

As she finished her sentence, she spotted Sai standing on the other side of the room. She wore a small smile then turned around and said, "Actually, let's table the competition…_for now_…" as she turned around and started heading towards where he was standing.

Sakura smiled and said, "Have fun!"

Ino replied in a singsongy voice, "_I wiiiiill." _then started waving towards Sai to get his attention.

After Ino was out of earshot, Naruto turned to Sakura and said, "If it were me and Sasuke, I'd count that as him running away and take the win…"

Sakura started chuckling and said, "I like that idea…"

After a moment of silence, Sakura turned away from Naruto and timidly said, "I hope you're not mad at me for avoiding you at the hospital today…" She knew he had been disappointed over not getting to see her so she had been feeling bad about it all day.

Naruto gave a small smile and said, "It's fine. I figured you were busy and just needed to be able to focus. Besides, you're here now anyway."

Sakura smiled at his overall chill attitude then gave him a small nudge and said, "Thanks…" feeling relieved that he hadn't made a big deal out of it.

Naruto shook his head to indicate that it was no problem as he finished off his drink and set it on a table near him. After that, he turned his attention to the dance floor. There was currently no one dancing on it so Naruto could tell that no couple wanted to be the first to start dancing. The music in the background was typical of a celebration ceremony. It wasn't extremely lively but was instead on the more reserved side suggesting that a slow dance was the way to go.

Naruto looked out towards the dance floor then turned to look back at Sakura with a mischievous smile. Sakura read his mind and immediately started trying to escape. She looked towards one of the chairs on a nearby table then walked over to it and said, "I think it's about time to give these heels a rest." as she set her drink down then started getting ready to sit down.

Naruto wore an innocent smile then extended his hand and said, "Come on, Sakura-chan. Don't sit down. It'll be fun."

Sakura looked towards the dance floor and said, "There's not even anyone else out there…"

Naruto kept his hand held out and used his fingers to motion for her to come to him saying, "That just means we'll have the privilege of being the first…"

Sakura shook her head then decided to try to change the subject to make him drop the idea. She looked away in the direction of the entrance door and said, "So the Rain never confirmed their attendance, huh?"

Naruto dropped his eyes then reached out and grabbed her hand. He gave her a small eye roll and said, "Sakura-chan, get over here." as he started walking them towards the dance floor.

Sakura tugged back a bit and whispered, "Naruto Uzumaki let go of me!" Naruto smiled a bit at her feisty attitude but kept pulling her towards the dance floor. When Sakura saw that he wouldn't let up, she looked up to his determined face and said, "Aren't you supposed to ask for a dance and wait for a yes?..."

Naruto kept facing forward with a small smile and said, "Not tonight." as he gave her a look that showed her he wasn't gonna let her get away.

Sakura finally stopped resisting and followed him closely. As they walked onto the dance floor, she kept her head bowed to try to hide the fact that her face was flushing crimson. She wasn't sure this was a good idea since everyone would probably be watching, but she did always find this spontaneous side of Naruto a little intriguing…intoxicating even. That side of him that forcefully dragged her out of her comfort zone. It always felt like she was on the verge of a new adventure with him, and she loved that.

She grew a bit more uneasy after Naruto stopped directly in the center of the dance floor. Naruto noticed her looking around to see who was looking so he looked at her affectionately and said, "Just you and me. No one else…" Sakura thought about it for a second then decided that taking his advice was probably the best course of action to avoid all of the people she was sure was looking at them. She decided to just focus on his upper chest area since that was where her head naturally fell with her heels on.

The two took their positions as they got ready to dance. Naruto's right hand was holding Sakura's while his left arm gently cupped her waist. Her left arm was gently resting on his left shoulder as well.

As the two started to gently sway back and forth, Naruto looked down at her and said, "This isn't so bad, huh?" hoping to make her a bit more comfortable.

Sakura looked down and said, "No, I guess not…" as she lifted her left hand to brush back a strand of hair.

Now she really wished she had dressed up lot more. She would've never thought she'd be so close to him tonight, but now that she was, it hurt her a lot more that she didn't look her best. She might've been reluctant to just jump into things with him, but she was sure that they liked each other so she still wanted to look her best for him.

She wiggled in his arms a bit more before once again nervously moving her right hand to adjust the shoulder strap of her dress as she looked down to the floor.

Naruto waited until she put her arm back on his shoulder, then moved his left arm to lift her face to him. He gave her a loving smile and softly said, "Sakura-chan. Stop fussing. You look so beautiful…"

Sakura registered what he said then smiled with a small blush as she gazed into his ocean blue eyes. He knew her so well and she was sure that she could only see one thing in his eyes at the moment. Love. It looked like an ocean of it, and she found herself wanting to get lost in it…to just get lost in that love. That love that he somehow felt for her.

She looked at him with a fond smile for a little longer then finally looked away and whispered, _"Thank you, Naruto."_

After that, she dropped her left arm so that her fingers were now intertwined with his then used her right arm to pull herself closer so that their bodies were pressed against each other. She turned her head to the side, then rested it on his chest with a noticeable smile adorning her lips as they swayed back and forth. Naruto was right. It was just her and him…her idiot best friend. No one else…

Naruto wore a small smile then let his head rest against the top of hers. He was happy that she had moved closer and it felt like she was finally comfortable in his arms, so he decided to let himself get lost in the moment as well. Naruto smiled as the two of them swayed back and forth with a constant rhythm and let themselves get lost in the moment.

Meanwhile, Kakashi and Tsunade stood watching from the 2nd floor. Tsunade turned to Kakashi then nodded towards Sasuke and said, "He's pretty good."

Kakashi looked down at where Sasuke was and said, "You have no idea…" thinking of how Sasuke had set the two up covertly.

Tsunade chuckled and said, "Makes me wonder why we didn't put him on the job before…" as she took a sip of champagne.

Orochimaru walked up from behind them and said, "Because he was in the Sound with me."

Tsunade tilted her head and said, "I guess you're right. But at least he's here to help out now."

Orochimaru chuckled and said, "Now that Karin is here, I'm not sure he'll be able to focus enough to help them out anymore…"

Tsunade quickly took another look at the bar and saw that Sasuke and Karin were sitting side by side watching the dance with everyone else. She looked at the two of them wide-eyed and said, "How did I miss that before?"

Kakashi shrugged and said, "I have no idea. Maybe your head was in the clouds. I noticed she went to talk to him as soon as Naruto left the bar."

"Ah. You're very observant Kakashi." said Orochimaru with a sly smile.

Kakashi kept looking down over the balcony and softly said, "When I want to be." As a ninja, he was observant in general, but he paid special attention when he had a personal stake in things.

Tsunade leaned on the balcony railing and said, "I'll have to pay more attention next time…" wondering how she had missed Karin going to sit by Sasuke.

Orochimaru looked towards Sasuke and Karin noticing that something was going on and said, "Maybe you should try paying attention now…"

…

Karin was sitting at the bar in a relatively relaxed position, but she couldn't help but constantly glance at the two dancers in the middle of the floor. They looked so good together. Naruto always had this peaceful air about him, but it was magnified now. Like he had somehow found a way to grasp even more of that peaceful air.

After looking at the two for a while, she wore a small smile and looked over to Sasuke. Sasuke didn't need to look twice to know what she was thinking. She wanted to dance as well. He noticed that her smile had an alluring quality to it, but as inviting as she was making the offer, he wasn't the dancing type, so he dropped his eye and quietly said, "No."

The sweet smile Karin had been wearing immediately disappeared and was replaced with a small frown. Sasuke felt a little bad, but if there was one thing he didn't do, it was dance. He looked away a bit more to maintain his position as he took a sip of his drink. Karin shot him a disappointed look then crossed her arms as she turned away.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow and said to the two nin by him, "Uh oh. Trouble in Paradise…"

Sasuke looked at Karin for a bit and decided it'd be best if he said something. He always hated it when she was mad at him and she didn't only look mad, she looked a bit disappointed. He turned to her and softly said, "Is it really that big of a deal?"

Karin kept her arms crossed and kept her face turned away from him without responding. She was turned away at an angle that made her glasses go into that completely opaque state, completely hiding her eyes.

Sasuke made one last desperate attempt to get back into her good graces and said, "Someone so beautiful shouldn't be so angry…"

Karin didn't budge an inch but finally replied in an excessively sharp tone, "Well she is."

After a few moments had passed, Sasuke let out a small sigh and decided not to let their first time being together in Konoha go so poorly. He decided that if he was really going to do this dancing thing, he'd at least do it with conviction. He stood up showing no sign of resistance then offered Karin his hand with a small smile. "Come on, Red. If it's important to you, it's important to me…"

Karin finally turned to him with a small smile growing on her lips after hearing his usual nickname for her, then stood up and accepted his hand gracefully to let him know he was off the hook.

Naruto noticed the two moving to the dance floor then wore a small smile at the sight. Normally he would shoot a few teasing glances in Sasuke's direction, but he decided that his friend was already probably feeling out of his comfort zone as it was and left it alone. He looked at the two for a bit longer then softly said to Sakura, "I think we started something..."

Sakura looked at the two who were now getting ready to dance a few feet away and softly said, "Yeah, I think we did…" before turning back to rest her head on Naruto's chest. Under normal circumstances, she would've been interested in seeing what it was like when Sasuke was finally pulled out of his comfort zone, but she just wanted to take in the moment that her and Naruto were sharing and remember it for the rest of her life. She pulled herself even closer to him and tried to memorize every detail, from his steady heartbeat to the sensual cologne he was wearing. She wanted to remember it all, to remember him...

As Sasuke and Karin started dancing, Kakashi turned to the two nin standing by him and said, "Now if a woman can convince someone like Sasuke to do something he doesn't want to do, what hope is there for the rest of us?" The three chuckled at the irony of the situation then noticed that more and more couples were starting to move onto the dance floor. Sai had pulled Ino out to the dance floor without shame after noticing her staring at the couples that were already dancing, and now some of the other couples in attendance were starting to join in as well.

As the dance floor started filling up, Orochimaru looked out from the balcony and said, "That Naruto boy has a very particular effect on people..."

Kakashi gave a small nod of agreement while Tsunade nodded and softly said, "Yes...he does..."

* * *

_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


	7. Off the Rails

Ch. 7

As Naruto and Sakura swayed to the rhythm of the music, they looked around to see that the number of people on the dance floor had multiplied significantly. They had been too absorbed in each other's company to notice before, but they could now see that there were over ten couples dancing in their own small, private circles. They seemed to be really enjoying themselves and it was apparent that despite the number of couples dancing, the dance floor still had a type of intimate atmosphere surrounding it.

Sakura gave a small smile as she watched the other couples then said, "Looks like your spirit is contagious…" with her head still resting on Naruto's chest.

Naruto looked a bit indignant and replied, "It's our spirit Sakura-chan! I wasn't out here dancing by myself you know…"

Sakura thought about it then smiled a bit and said, "I guess you're right." feeling happy that she had let herself get dragged out to the dance floor. She was apprehensive at first, but just like all of the other times Naruto dragged her into something, it had turned out to be a great experience.

After enjoying each other's company for a little while longer, the two noticed that there was a bit of a commotion coming from the front entrance. The two wanted to ignore it and just immerse themselves in each other's company, but the commotion was growing for some reason. Naruto slowly glanced towards the door wondering what other guest could cause a commotion like the one he was hearing. As far as he knew, everyone who was important had already arrived.

Sakura glanced towards the front entrance as well and softly said, "Who is that?"

The two peered past the crowd in an attempt to see who was causing such a buzz with their arrival and, to their surprise, they saw none other than Tashisu who was surrounded with a small entourage. Naruto's face immediately changed into one of anger at the realization of who it was. The Rain never responded to their invitation to confirm their attendance, but now they could show up at the last second to make sure they didn't get kicked out of the Union. Disgusting…

If he was as mad as he was now, he could only imagine how Kakashi felt since he was the liaison to the Rain. He looked up towards the 2nd story and saw that Kakashi's visible eye looked like it was conveying more anger and annoyance than his whole face could. He was clearly pissed off and it looked like he was letting it show on purpose. Naruto looked away feeling a bit better about himself. At least he wasn't the only person who was upset…

Sasuke walked up behind Naruto and Sakura then said in a voice that sounded more annoyed than his usual monotone voice, "Looks like we've got some party crashers…"

Naruto turned to him and Karin and said, "Yeah, looks that way…" in an obviously annoyed tone.

After Naruto had recovered from the shock of seeing who had just arrived, he turned to Sakura with a small frown. He looked at her sullen expression and knew that she was thinking the same thing he was thinking. Their moment had been ruined… He let out a small sigh and turned away with an expression that showed a mix of emotions from anger and sadness to sheer annoyance.

Sakura noticed the shift in Naruto's attitude and decided it would be best to try to calm him down. He was always prone to saying or doing stupid things if he wasn't thinking clearly. Next thing you know, he'd stick his foot in his mouth and get blamed for a diplomatic incident. She noticed he was looking away towards Tashisu so she shook his hand to get his attention. After he turned to her, she gave his hand a soft squeeze and said, "It's ok, Naruto." then lifted her hand to rub his face a little around the whiskers and said, "It was great while it lasted."

Naruto thought about it for a bit then let out a small smile and nodded to acknowledge that she was right. Even though their time had been cut short, it was a blessing to have shared that moment at all.

Sakura gave him a small smile as she saw his anger start to dissipate. It was still there, but he looked more in control now. She gave him a small nudge to the side and said in a more energetic whisper, "Chin up!" before crossing her arms over her chest.

He gave her a small smile then whispered, "Thanks Sakura-chan."

He appreciated the fact that she knew him well enough to try to calm him down, especially since he knew he could be a hothead if people didn't keep him in check. He gave her one last small smile then turned back to face forward with a bit of a more relaxed attitude.

After that, Naruto looked up towards the 2nd story and saw Tsunade heading down the stairs with a neutral expression. Kakashi descended the stairs at her side having already returned his face to its usual lazy expression. Naruto knew he was an expert diplomat, so it didn't surprise him that he had already fixed his face to conceal how he was really feeling at the moment.

Naruto watched as Tsunade and Kakashi finally reached where Tashisu was and shared words with him. He was sure that Tashisu was giving them some lie about why the Rain hadn't responded to the invitation. Lying just seemed like it would be a natural talent for him.

While they were talking, Naruto decided to examine his entourage. Most of his small entourage looked like diplomats, but there was a woman by his side who was holding his arm. She was dressed in a purple dress that fit her well and Naruto noticed she had a ring on her left ring finger. He looked at Tashisu's left hand and noticed that he had a ring on his ring finger as well. He raised an eyebrow in slight shock realizing that the two were married then looked down to a young child holding onto the mom's leg. She didn't look like she was that old because she hadn't finished changing teeth yet, but she was wearing some short, stubby heels that suggested she wasn't too young.

He looked at the kid for a little longer then turned away and said to no one in particular, "At least the kid looks innocent…"

Sasuke kept his face neutral and said, "Hope she stays that way…"

Naruto let out a small snort and said, "Yeah. Let's hope she doesn't follow in her dad's footsteps. I don't trust that guy one bit."

Right after he said that, Karin nodded past his shoulder wearing a small smile and said, "Well I hope you know how to hide your feelings because he's coming over here right now…"

Naruto looked over his shoulder and saw Tsunade and Kakashi headed towards them with Tashisu following closely behind. He let out a slightly annoyed sigh but decided that he had better put on his diplomatic act to avoid any problems. He took a deep breath then stepped forward with Sakura. The two greeted Tashisu with the most convincing fake smiles they could muster then moved to greet the entourage.

After greetings had been exchanged, Tsunade announced to the guests that they would now enter the formal part of the ceremony.

Following Tsunade's announcement, an usher walked over to where Naruto and the others were and led them to the largest round table in the room. It had a very noticeable reserved sign on it and there were 12 chairs total to perfectly accommodate the higher-ranking attendees at the ceremony. The seating had already been assigned so everyone sat down as the ushers led them to their seats.

_Seating order for reserved table_

_Jugo_

_Suigetsu_

_Karin_

_Sasuke_

_Orochimaru_

_Tsunade_

_Kakashi_

_Tashisu_

_Hansha (Tashisu's wife)_

_Mujitsu (Tashisu's daughter)_

_Naruto_

_Sakura_

After the distinguished guests had been seated, the ushers got to work and quickly directed the remaining guests to their seats. Naruto watched as they worked, appreciating their diligence. It didn't take long for them to seat everyone in a way that looked ordered and professional. They earned Naruto's stamp of approval not only because of how quickly they worked but also because of the fact that he had been seated by Sakura. He knew that it was probably a result of Kakashi being involved in the setup of everything, but he could care less as long as he got his way. He was actually starting to enjoy this constant meddling on the gray-haired nin's part. He had hoped to be sitting by Sasuke as well, but he was seated next to Orochimaru and Karin. They were all on the same table though, so it wasn't too bad, and he couldn't deny that the seating arrangement made sense with all of the village heads being seated near each other.

…

After everyone had been seated, Tsunade got up and began to deliver the first of many generic speeches that Naruto had been dreading. He sat there twiddling his thumbs while wearing an expression that showed his growing boredom. He never really could do well with long dull moments like these, especially with his hyperactive nature.

Sakura had been occasionally casting glances his way knowing that he was prone to boredom. To be honest, she was bored out of her mind too, but she could sit through a speech with feigned interest if necessary. Naruto, on the other hand, didn't seem to have the capacity to do that. She let out a small sigh then half-turned to him and whispered, "At least try to look interested…"

He whispered back to her in a somewhat childlike voice, "I am…but it's _sooooo_ boring Sakura-chan…"

Sakura gave a small eye roll and whispered, "This is supposed to be a ceremony celebrating the peace that_ you're_ always talking about and that_ we_ all worked so hard for. Maybe try appreciating what's going on instead of looking bored out of your skull." She looked over her shoulder a bit and said in a harsher voice, "And If you plan on being the future Hokage, you better get used to long speeches. _And_ get used to forcing yourself to be interested." She gave him a small punch on his leg under the table so that no one could see and firmly said, "Now suck it up!" as she turned to face Tsunade again.

Naruto let out a muffled, "Ouch!" as he rubbed his leg, then turned away and said, "_Fine…_" as he tried a little harder to pay attention. He knew that everything she had said was true and that she was just trying to help him. If he was gonna be Hokage one day, he needed to get used to these excessively long speeches. Heck, he might have to give some himself someday… He shook off a small shudder at the thought of giving a long speech himself then decided to make an extra effort to focus. He was actually able to pay attention for the rest of Tsunade's speech and ended up feeling really proud of himself. It felt like he had accomplished a great feat for himself…that is until he noticed Orochimaru and Tashisu going up to give their own speeches as well. The realization that he'd have to sit through more speeches made it feel like he'd been hit with a whole new wave of boredom. He let out a suppressed groan then looked around to see if anyone else was as bored as he was. To his surprise, he found Mujitsu looking up at him with a somewhat curious expression. Naruto softened up a bit then gave her a small but friendly smile. He may not think highly of the girl's father but that was no reason to treat her badly. He was expecting Mujitsu to at least return the smile, but she didn't. She instead tilted her head to look at Naruto even more curiously and said, "You're a lot less handsome in person."

Naruto registered what she said, then squinted as he replied, "What does that mean?" already feeling slightly offended.

The young girl looked up to him and said, "I've seen a lot of pictures of you, and you're less handsome in person." not really understanding why Naruto was confused.

Naruto gave a low growl as he realized that the kid might not be as innocent as he thought then looked down at her and said, "You're a talkative kid aren't you…"

Mujitsu energetically replied, "Yep! I was taught to always speak my mind."

Naruto eyed her with suspicion and replied with a simple, "Ahhh…" This night was already irritating him and now this little kid was starting to get under his skin too. He let out a small sigh to calm himself down then decided to end their conversation with a small smile. No need to provoke the little brat any further. It was no use though. Mujitsu was already moving on to the next feature she found a problem with. "Now that I'm seeing you up close, your hair is a lot shorter than in pictures too!"

Naruto glanced up at his hair then looked back down and replied, "Yeah, I cut it a while ago…" He decided to give the kid another chance to be a bit more friendly and said with a wide smile, "You think it looks cool, right?"

The little girl shrugged and said, "No, not really. I like it better longer. That's probably why you look a lot less handsome."

Naruto's smile evaporated as he found himself at a loss for words after her insult. He knew kids had no filter, but this was still a little extreme. He let out a small growl then leaned towards Mujitsu's ear to make sure no one else could hear him and whispered. _"Yeah well...at least I have teeth..."_

The girl scowled at Naruto and bluntly said, "You're mean." before using her heeled shoe to step on Naruto's foot with every ounce of strength she had.

Naruto let out an angry, "OW!" and then received a chakra enhanced nudge into his side by Sakura. "OOOWWW!" She turned her head halfway towards him and whispered menacingly, "You could at least act your age."

Naruto turned to Sakura and whispered, "I thought she was innocent, but the little jerk is armed with half-inch heels!" as he kept rubbing his foot under the table hoping to rub the pain away. Sakura gave an annoyed eye roll and said, "I swear, sometimes you act so immature…"

Naruto turned and whispered in a pleading voice, _"But she started it Sakura-chan…"_

Sakura ignored him and let out an exasperated sigh as she turned her head to keep facing forward. There was no point arguing with him when his immature side started showing. It was like talking to a brick wall.

Naruto noted her change in attitude and decided it would be best to try to avoid any further incidents, _especially _with that little squirt sitting next to him.

* * *

After a string of long speeches, Tsunade finally announced that they would be moving into the dining portion of the ceremony. Naruto let out a content smile at the news and decided to fully enjoy the dinner as his reward for having to sit through all of those long, boring speeches.

As they brought the food to their table, Naruto looked over to Tashisu's plate with a small frown and whispered to Sakura, "Look Sakura-chan. They gave him more chicken than they gave me…" He wasn't really mad about it; he was just making an observation.

Sakura let out a small sigh then looked over to Tashisu's plate. He did have a noticeably greater portion of chicken than Naruto, but she decided to act like she couldn't tell. No need to join him in his nitpicky ways.

"Stop making a big deal out of nothing Naruto. The plates are all the same… Now just eat like everyone else…" she said with an amused eye roll. "And you better not leave your vegetables…" she added with a more menacing tone.

Naruto thought about all she had said, then glanced at Tashisu's plate one last time out of the corner of his eye. He considered his plate for a bit longer then gave a small eye squint and decided to drop it. He gave a small shrug thinking that maybe he was being paranoid after all then decided to just focus on his plate and start cutting his chicken.

Sakura noticed that he was moving on and shook her head with a small smile while she affectionately thought to herself, _'That Naruto. He's such an idiot sometimes…'_

A few moments later, Naruto was taking a bite of his chicken when he heard Tashisu turn to his wife and ask in a hushed voice, "You want some of my chicken? It's more than I can eat…"

Naruto squinted in Tashisu's direction, then slowly turned to Sakura. Sakura tried to avoid looking back, but Naruto kept staring to the point where it felt like he would burn a hole through her if she didn't look back. She let out a small sigh, then turned to see Naruto with his two cheeks puffed out from the food in his mouth while giving her an 'I told you so' look. She couldn't help but give a small laugh at how ridiculous he looked and said, "Fine…You were right. Now swallow your food." Naruto gave a very forceful nod of agreement, then started laughing as well. This night was going so stupidly off the rails that it just seemed like the right response.

The night went pretty well from there and Naruto was actually able to lighten up and move past earlier events. Sakura noted that he had even warmed up to the little girl sitting next to him. It seemed like they were able to get along pretty nicely now. Sakura assumed that it was because Naruto was able to drop to her level of immaturity with relative ease. Sakura wore a small smile knowing that he always did have that immature side. A lot of times it was annoying, but sometimes it did come in handy.

After the ceremony was over, Tsunade thanked everyone for attending and called for the guests to applaud one last time to celebrate the step that had just been taken towards establishing peace between the nations, and with that, everyone took their leave. Tsunade told Tashisu that Kakashi would show them where they would be staying while they were in Konoha and Orochimaru waved Sasuke off since he had already been informed of where he would be staying.

Overall, Tsunade was very pleased with how things had gone. Despite Tashisu's late arrival, the ceremony had been a tremendous success and they had avoided any diplomatic mishaps or incidents.

"Looks like the ceremony was a success after all…" said Kakashi as he walked up to Tsuande with his hands in his pockets.

Tsunade gave a small smile and said, "Yeah, I'm pretty happy with how things worked out."

Kakashi gave a small nod and said, "Glad to hear it." He had been put in charge of organizing some aspects of the ceremony, so he was happy to see that it had gone so well.

The two didn't want to leave before any of the guests so they talked about village matters for a bit longer to give everyone time to clear out. While they were talking, Tsunade noticed the ushers starting to work on cleaning up. She called the head usher over and let him know that they could go home since it was getting late, then started looking for her one-man cleaning crew. She saw Naruto standing a distance away talking to Sasuke and Sakura. It looked like they were having their own little private conversation which was a typical sight for members of the famed Team 7.

Tsunade gave a small smile then wrapped an arm around Kakashi and said, "Follow me."

Kakashi looked at her with a suspicious glint but showed no resistance. Tsunade walked him over to where the other three were, then interrupted their conversation by slapping her other arm around Sasuke and Naruto. The two looked at her with questioning glances before she gave their shoulders a light squeeze and said, "Clean up time boys!"

Naruto turned with his eyes nearly bulging out of his head and said, "WHAT?! What happened to the ushers?!"

"I let them go early so they could get back to their families since it's getting pretty late. Besides, why would I need ushers when I've got you and your shadow clones? You should be done in no time at all!" She looked up pensively and said, "Hmmm, the last of my hospital shipments are coming in tomorrow as well. I expect you all to be there…"

Naruto crossed his arms and said in a pouting voice, "That's not fair. I was gonna walk Sakura-chan home. I can't do that if I'm stuck here."

Sakura gave a small smile at the thought but decided that it'd be best if she just supported Tsunade on this. Tsunade would probably kill Naruto if she thought he was turning her prized student into a rebel, so she gave a small shrug and said, "I only live like two blocks from here Naruto, I'll be fine."

Naruto dropped his eyes and said in an excessively droll voice, "Sakura-chan, that's not the point…" then leaned towards her ear and whispered, "_…and you're kinda messing up my excuse for not helping…"_ which elicited a small giggle from Sakura.

Tsunade rolled her eyes and said, "Don't worry, she'll be fine Naruto." She raised an eyebrow with a sly smirk and said, "Besides, I think you've taken more than enough care of her for the night…"

Kakashi and Sasuke wore amused smiles, while Sakura mumbled, "_Shisuou…_" in a slightly embarrassed voice and looked down shyly to hide her small blush. It was true that her and Naruto had been dancing in front of everyone, but it still felt a little weird to have her former master making suggestive comments about her love life.

Naruto brushed off the comment and continued pleading his case. "That's not the point Baa-chan. Aren't you the one who taught me that a gent-" He was cut off by Tsunade squeezing his shoulder so hard that it felt like something might pop out of place. She gave him a menacing glare and said, "I'll walk her home! Now get to work…" as she finally let go off the three and moved towards Sakura to get ready for the walk her back to her house.

Naruto let out a barely audible grumble and said under his breath, "But who's gonna walk you home?..." earning small smiles from Kakashi and Sasuke.

Tsunade swiveled back to him with a threatening glint in her eye and said, "What was that?"

Naruto took a small gulp then stammered out an uneasy, "Uhhh…Nothing." He gave a small wave and said, "Stay safe and bye Sakura-chan." then quickly created some shadow clones to avoid Tsunade's wrath.

Sakura gave him an amused smile and said, "See you around." then waved goodbye to Kakashi and Sasuke as well.

After Tsunade and Sakura left, Kakashi decided it was time for him to make his exit before they tried to rope him into helping out as well. He wore one of his eye-closed smiles and said, "I almost forgot. I have to show Tashisu where he'll be staying tonight. Sorry that I can't stay to help out, but I hope you guys have fun!" He gave a small wave then disappeared in a puff of smoke before either of them could respond.

Naruto stood there in silence for a second before turning to Sasuke with an amused expression. "He'll never change will he?"

Sasuke started clearing off a table and said with a small smirk, "Probably not…"

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke were now walking towards the apartment at a casual pace. The streets were almost completely empty and most of the businesses had their lights out. The village once again had that semi-eerie vibe that it had at the end of the day although the bright full moon helped to lessen that effect.

As they were walking, Sasuke examined Naruto with a curious air. The usually hyperactive blond had been walking without so much as a word. He was obviously thinking very hard about something and if Sasuke knew him well, it was probably something regarding Sakura. Sasuke found that a little weird since things had gone so smoothly between the two at the ceremony but Naruto did always have to find a problem with things, even if they had gone spectacularly well. Sasuke let out a small sigh and said, "You know, I always thought that silence would be a blessing with you, but I actually find it to be just as irritating."

Naruto registered what he said then started grinning from ear to ear as he turned to him and replied, "Sounds like I'm a more complicated guy than I thought I was!"

Sasuke kept facing forward with a small smirk and said, "Something like that… What's on your mind?"

Naruto gave a small shrug and said, "I don't know. I had a great night, but it just feels like it didn't finish right, you know."

Sasuke let out the slightest of smiles and said, "You're talking about the dance?"

Naruto turned to him with an inquisitive stare and said, "Yeah…how'd you know?"

Sasuke wore a small smile and said, "I was out there too." remembering how he had been practically forced to go out there even though he didn't want to.

Naruto looked at him with a somewhat taken aback expression. He would've never thought that Sasuke would also regret not having finished the dance. He pictured Sasuke as the type to be glad to not have to be out there dancing the night away, but if he was feeling like the night was unfinished as well then he probably cared about Karin a lot more than he was letting on. Naruto didn't want to make him uncomfortable since it was a sensitive subject, but he was still curious to hear the dark-haired Uchiha's perspective. He looked at him with one of those eye-closed looks that were unique to him and asked, "So you feel the same way?...about the dance ending too soon I mean?"

Sasuke thought about it for a second then shrugged and said, "Yeah, to some extent. But…*C'est la vie." rolling his tongue on the last part.

Naruto paused for a bit, then wore a haughty expression and said, "*Mais c'est pas bon…"

Sasuke wore a wider grin than usual and said, "I didn't think you were paying attention in those language classes back at the academy…"

Naruto smirked and said, "I wasn't really, but Tsunade's been teaching me a lot of things to get me ready to be the next Hokage."

Sasuke chuckled a bit and said, "Makes sense…"

After a few seconds, Naruto grew serious and said, "But in all seriousness, I wish it could be different…"

Sasuke shrugged and said, "If you want it to, it can."

Naruto cast him a perplexed look and said, "What do you mean?"

Sasuke nodded behind him in the direction of Sakura's apartment and said, "I mean you go over to Sakura's and you ask her to finish the dance."

Naruto looked at him wide-eyed for a few seconds as he considered the suggestion then wore a wide-toothed grin and said, "Heyyyy… That's actually a pretty good idea!"

Sasuke gave a small shrug and said, "If you're gonna do it, you better get moving so she doesn't go to sleep."

Naruto replied, "Yeah, you're probably right." then added on, "Hey, why don't you do that for Karin too?!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and said, "No thanks."

Naruto tilted his head to the side and said, "Why not?! I'm sure she'd like it a lot."

Sasuke replied in his usual monotone voice, "A) Because I'm not an emotional sap like you-"

"But this was your idea." Naruto interjected.

Sasuke ignored him and continued, "and B) because she's in the same building as Orochimaru and the others. Going over there would be too…troublesome…" he said with a slight frown marring his expression after noticing he sounded like Shikamaru.

Naruto smiled and said, "You sound like Shikamaru."

"Yeah, I noticed..." replied Sasuke with a neutral expression.

Naruto shrugged and said, "Suit yourself. In any case, thanks for the idea! I'll see you back at the apartment." giving Sasuke a small wave.

Sasuke responded with a small nod and said, "See ya."

* * *

Sakura looked into the mirror with a small smile as she removed her makeup with a moist towelette. She couldn't help but wear a small smile as she recalled the events of the night. Naruto had been Naruto the entire time. From his childish antics at the table to the wonderfully blissful dance they had shared. She wore a small smile as she accepted something that she had been trying to run from for a while. Naruto Uzumaki was the proud owner of her heart. There was no denying it and there was no running from it. He had found his way in there a while ago, and she couldn't deny it. Not anymore...

While she was getting ready to remove her lipstick, she heard what sounded like a soft knock on her door. She wore a curious expression then walked out of her bathroom and cracked it open slightly. She peeped through the crack to see none other than Naruto standing there with one of his usual grins set firmly in place. He smiled a little wider seeing her then said, "I hope I didn't wake you…"

Sakura shook her head a bit and said, "No, you didn't…but Naruto, what're you doing here?" It was now past midnight and although she was used to him visiting her at odd hours, he usually only did so in extreme circumstances.

He stepped inside and said, "Just wanted to say hello…" as he started to examine the apartment that he was all too familiar with.

Sakura closed the door behind him, then gave him a small eye squint to imply that he better get to the real reason he was here or else. He responded with a small chuckle as he nervously rubbed the back of his head and said, "You know me too well Sakura-chan."

Sakura wore a small smile then raised an eyebrow and said, "Spill it. Why are you here?"

Naruto chuckled sheepishly and said, "Well we were having such a good time out there tonight that I thought maybe we could finish our dance?..."

Sakura closed her eyes as she looked down to rub the sides of her nose with a soft smile adorning her lips. She let out a small sigh and said, "Naruto, please tell me you didn't come all the way over here just so you could ask me to dance again…"

Naruto wore an eye closed grin and playfully said, "Maybe…"

Sakura examined the playful glint in his eyes with an affectionate smile and thought to herself, _'He can't be serious...' _

She examined him with an adoring smile then looked into those ocean blue orbs of his. Just by looking at his eyes, she already knew how their interaction would go. He would try to convince her to dance. She would pretend to resist like she didn't want to. And he would eventually find some way to coax her into it...as always.

After examining him for a bit longer, Sakura shook her head and said, "You're ridiculous. You know that right?"

Naruto wore one of his wider smiles and replied, "We both know that already Sakura-chan."

Sakura smiled with a small eye roll, then Naruto held out his hand and said, "So what do you say?"

Sakura looked at his hand for a little then smiled a bit and said, "This is silly."

Naruto gave one of his usual shrugs and said, "So what if it is? We'll be silly together."

Sakura tilted her head and said, "This is _too_ silly Naruto…"

Naruto dropped his eyes and said, "Don't make me have to force you to dance again Sakura-chan…"

Sakura raised an eyebrow and said, "I let you drag me out there the first time." with a bit of sass.

Naruto let out a feral grin and said, "Is that so?..." as he quickly closed the distance between them and grabbed hold of her arm.

"Hey!" Sakura exclaimed before using her free arm to throw a semi-serious, semi-playful punch towards him. He easily caught it with his other hand and twisted it down so that both of her hands were now around her waist while casting her a smug smile. "You're gonna dance with me Sakura Haruno, and I'm not taking no for an answer…"

Sakura tried to act a little displeased, but couldn't hide her slight blush at the way he had said her full name. She pinched her lips a bit then raised an eyebrow and said, "Fine…but did you bring any music?"

Naruto thought about it for a second then looked up shyly to try to hide his embarrassment. He wore a nervous grin and said, _"Well, I didn't really think that far ahead…"_

Sakura shook her head with a small smile and said, "Baka… How do you expect to dance with no music?"

Naruto thought about it for a second then shrugged and said, "We'll just have to find our own rhythm Sakura-chan!"

Sakura looked down then closed her eyes with a small smile and said, "I don't know why I put up with you…"

"Don't be so mean Sakura-chan…" said Naruto in a playful voice that made it sound like he was hurt.

She let out a loud sigh and said, "Fine..." as she locked her hand into his to continue their dance. Much to their surprise, the lack of music led to them dancing in a way that was not even close to resembling how they were dancing before. It was weird, it was clumsy, it was stupid, and it was a whole lot of other things, but it was theirs, and it felt like a fitting end to their earlier dance that had been so rudely interrupted.

After the two had finished clumsily running into various objects around Sakura's apartment, they laughed with each other thinking of how stupid they must've looked through it all before finally letting their tired bodies fall onto the couch. They kept each other company for a little while longer before Naruto decided it would be best if he got going. It was getting close to 2 AM by now and he wanted to at least be responsible enough to let her get some sleep since she'd probably have an early shift at the hospital tomorrow. He lifted himself off of the couch then performed one of his usual stretches and said, "I should probably get going."

Sakura looked away sadly and said, "Yeah, you probably should…" rising to her feet as well. She could tell that they both didn't want the night to end, but they were at the point where it was going to end regardless. As Naruto opened the door, he turned around with a small smile and said, "I had fun tonight Sakura-chan."

She returned the smile and softly said, "Me too…"

The two stood there in silence for a few seconds longer before Naruto finally broke the silence with a small smile and affectionately said, "Good night Sakura-chan." as he got ready to leave.

Naruto was waiting for a response, but he noticed that Sakura was now looking away with a bashful expression and it looked she was thinking about something. He gave her a semi-concerned glance and said, "Sakura-ch-" but was cut off by her tiptoeing and giving him a lingering kiss on the cheek. When she finally pulled away, she couldn't help but giggle at the shocked but obviously happy expression plastered on his face. She gave him a soft smile and said, "Good night, Naruto. And thank you…"

Naruto wore what looked like the goofiest grin she had ever seen, then said, "Good night Sakura-chan!" She giggled to herself a bit more then finally closed the door. After closing the door, she leaned against it and all she could do was wonder how she had been so lucky as to get a guy like him interested in her. She wore a small smile and whispered to herself, _"I'll try to make the next one on the lips..."_ sending a small wave of excitement through her body.

Naruto walked away from her doorstep with a bit of a pep in his step and wore that same goofy grin all the way back to his apartment. To say he was happy was a grotesque understatement. He had been kissed by none other than his Sakura-chan. Sure, it was only on the cheek, but that alone was enough to make him feel like he was on top of the world and there wasn't anything that could bring him down.

When he finally arrived at his apartment, he was surprised to see a meditating Sasuke…or at least he would've been surprised if he hadn't concluded a while ago that Sasuke was partially nocturnal. He gave Sasuke a small wave and said, "Still up I see."

Sasuke opened one eye and nodded in response. He looked at Naruto's face for a bit longer than usual then a suspicious smirk crept up to his face. Naruto gave him a quizzical glance and said, "What?"

Sasuke shrugged and said, "Nothing."

Naruto looked at him for a bit longer but decided to drop it. He was tired and they had to go help out at the hospital bright and early tomorrow morning. He gave Sasuke a small wave and said, "I'm gonna go to bed. It's been a long day. Good night."

"Night." replied Sasuke with his smirk still in place.

As Naruto stepped into the bathroom, he picked up his toothbrush then looked into the mirror to examine his tired features as per his usual routine. He was greeted by a pair of baggy eyes, his six whiskers, and something else that made his eyes go wide. On his right cheek was a hue of pink lipstick that was obviously Sakura's etched onto his face in the form of a pair of lips.

As he stood there wide-eyed, Kurama laughed and said,** "I guess she left her mark…"**

Naruto started turning crimson in the face then realized that Sasuke probably saw it first. That Teme didn't even say anything, he just sat there with that stupid smirk. He slammed his toothbrush on the counter and yelled loud enough to wake everyone in the neighborhood, "SASUKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Sasuke's smirk widened then he decided it was probably time for him to go to sleep.

* * *

_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


	8. More than Friends

Ch. 8

_The next day._

Naruto walked along the dirt path taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the village with a comfortable grin plastered over his face. Looking around, he could tell that it was a relatively normal day in Konoha. The sun was shining like usual, it wasn't too cloudy, and there was that same refreshing but gentle breeze in the air. All of those things were commonplace in Konoha, but Naruto was feeling particularly good today. It felt like he was seeing the world through rose-colored glasses, although cherry colored glasses might've been a better description. To be honest, it could've been dark, gloomy, and rainy outside, and he was pretty sure he would still feel the same way he did now - Happy. And if that was the only word he used to describe his feelings, it'd be a huge understatement. He was on cloud 9, and he couldn't help but wear an affectionate smile remembering the events of last night when his Sakura-chan kissed him. It was definitely more than a dream come true and he could tell just from how he was feeling at the moment that this was gonna be a great day. The only downside he could think of was the fact that he might not get to see Sakura while he was at the hospital, but even that couldn't really get him down since he'd probably find some way to see her after. He wore a small smile at the thought, then decided that he better stop lollygagging and pick up the pace. He was headed towards the hospital since he was supposed to be meeting Kakashi and Sasuke there to take care of Tsunade's shipments. The two were treating Tashisu and Orochimaru to breakfast so they had agreed to meet him at the hospital after.

* * *

As he approached the hospital, he saw Sasuke standing with his arms crossed while Kakashi was entranced in his usual reading material. The two knew that Naruto could easily take care of the work alone, but it didn't feel right to just let him go to the hospital and work by himself.

Naruto had been running a little late, so he tried to placate the two with an amicable grin. He gave an energetic wave and said, "What's up guys?!" as he walked up to them. Sasuke gave a small snort and said, "Took you long enough…"

Naruto gave him a small nudge and said, "Come on. I'm not that late Teme."

"Tch. Please. If you were any later, you'd be Kakashi…" said Sasuke with a small huff.

Kakashi peeped over his book and said in a semi-indignant voice, "I was on time today…"

"Yeah, you were… Oh wait, maybe that had something to do with the fact that we came from the same place…" said Sasuke with a bit of sarcastic flare.

Kakashi started rubbing his chin and said, "Hmmm. Didn't think of that." in a voice that matched Sasuke's sarcastic tone.

Sasuke let out a small sigh then started rubbing his nose after realizing he would be having to deal with these idiots for the next few hours. He shook his head for a bit then turned towards the hospital and said, "Whatever. Let's just get this done."

As the three turned to walk inside, Kakashi gave Sasuke that same lazy, one-eyed stare as he studied him. Sasuke usually did everything at his own, constant pace. He never seemed to be in a rush to do anything, although he was an extremely efficient worker. Rushing things was more Naruto's style; however, Kakashi could tell from the Uchiha's last sentence and his overall sultry attitude that he did seem to be in a bit of a rush for some reason. On top of that, he had gotten the feeling that Sasuke was in a rush at breakfast as well. '_I could be wrong…but a little investigation never hurt anyone.' _thought Kakashi while casting Sasuke one last lazy glare. He dropped his book a bit then turned and said, "You seem to be in a bit of a hurry today. Why the rush?"

Sasuke kept facing forward, but replied, "Believe it or not, I've got a life Kakashi. I have other things to take care of after this."

'_So he is in a rush for some reason. Interesting… Let's dig a little deeper…'_ Kakashi completely stashed his book away then inquired, "What type of things? Professional things…or things that require a more _personal_ touch?" making sure to say the last part with an eye closed smile.

Sasuke turned towards Kakashi and gave him a small squint after realizing that he was making a not-so-subtle attempt to pry into his love life. _'That gray-haired buffoon never could mind his own business.'_ thought Sasuke with a small squint. _'Naruto and Sakura might need meddlers, but I don't need anyone holding my hand. I can do just fine on my own...'_

He looked away towards nothing in particular then said, "Things that are none of your business…"

Kakashi gave one of his eye closed smiles and said, "Ohhh, a little attitude… I take it you have some _personal_ matters to attend to then…"

Sasuke gave a slight eye roll while Naruto wore a mischievous grin and said, "_Oh yeaaaaaahhhh._ Last night I said we'd be spending a lot more time together…" Naruto's smile turned devious as he continued. "You've gotta give us the full scoop on what's been going on between you and Karin…"

Sasuke kept facing forward and replied, "I don't _have_ to do anything."

Naruto wore an eye-closed smile and said, "Yeah you do…unless you want us to bug you out of your mind for the rest of the day…" while quickly rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

Sasuke turned and gave Naruto one piercing glance before nodding his head a bit and saying, "Ok." in a disturbingly cool voice. Naruto examined his face for a bit then started thinking about what that look meant from Sasuke. Sasuke's faces weren't usually that expressive so it was always wise to take note of the few times they were. After thinking about it for a bit, he finally remembered where he'd seen that face and let out a small gulp. It was that face from back when they were genin - the "I'm gonna get payback" face. And Sasuke always paid people back with interest…

Naruto started rubbing his hands a bit slower then let out a nervous chuckle and said, "On second thought, it's ok if you don't wanna say anything…"

Sasuke kept his face unreadable then gave a brief shrug and said, "No, it's fine. I feel like sharing..."

Naruto gulped a bit harder and started nervously chuckling as a bead of sweat ran down his forehead. "Ok. If that's what you want…" he said in a noticeably less energetic voice.

Meanwhile, Kakashi watched the interaction between the two with a bit of suspicion. '_Normally nothing can stop Naruto from prying, but for some reason he seems to be backing off. Definitely out of character… And on top of that, Sasuke just said he actually feels like sharing. Sasuke Uchiha __**never**__ feels like sharing. Weird...' _thought Kakashi with a one-eyed squint that showed his confusion.

Before Kakashi could make sense of the situation, Sasuke spoke up in a nonchalant voice, "We started talking while I was on the liaison mission in the Sound. And now we're still talking now that she's here."

Naruto looked at him expectantly for a few seconds before realizing that was all he was going to say. After a few seconds, he wore a pouting frown and said, "Heeeeeyyy, that's not much more than what you told me last night."

Sasuke shrugged and said, "Tough." which led to Naruto giving him a small scowl.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was processing the information with his hand on his chin. He turned to Sasuke and said, "Interesting… So it had already started in the Sound?"

Sasuke gave a curt nod and said, "Yeah."

Kakashi thought about it for a bit longer then nodded and said, "I guess that's enough info for me…for now." He gave a small shrug then smiled and said, "I hope it all works out."

Sasuke acknowledged him with a small nod and said, "Thanks."

Naruto was getting ready to make a fuss about how Sasuke wasn't really telling them that much, but before he could do anything, the three of them ran into Tsunade.

Naruto looked over to Sasuke with a small squint and mumbled to himself, "Lucky…" feeling a little angry that Tsunade had saved Sasuke from his grilling session.

Tsunade noticed Naruto's small scowl and asked, "Am I interrupting something?"

Sasuke was the first to respond with his usual monotone voice. "Not even close."

Naruto let out a barely audible growl and thought to himself, _'I'll get the info, Teme. Just wait until we get off this job…' _while giving him a semi-angry squint. Kakashi wore a small smile at his antics then turned to Tsunade in an attempt to get back on track. He gave a small sigh and dropped his head to show her what he had to deal with for the day before saying in a somewhat dejected voice, "At your service…"

Tsunade gave a small chuckle then said, "Looks like you've got a long day ahead of you."

Kakashi thought about it for a second, then shrugged and said, "Yeah, but what else is new?"

Tsunade smiled and said, "Good point."

After properly exchanging greetings with everyone, she got straight down to business. She pointed down the same corridor Naruto and Kakashi had walked down yesterday and said, "For the most part, you guys will be doing the same thing as yesterday. Just deliver shipments floor by floor as they come in. The first set of shipments is just an order to restock our supplies, like food and water. It should have arrived by now, so you guys can just start whenever you guys get to the receiving department."

The three nodded in understanding then Kakashi said, "Sounds simple enough."

Tsunade returned the nod and said, "Yeah, should be a piece of cake." She then turned her attention to Naruto and said, "I actually have something to talk to you about. It'll just take a minute." as she motioned for him to step away from Kakashi and Sasuke.

Naruto was a little confused since he didn't know what she wanted to talk to him about, but it didn't look like he was in any kind of trouble so he could at least breathe easy.

As they stepped away, Sasuke turned to Kakashi and asked, "Any idea what that's about?"

Kakashi looked in their direction and said, "Tsunade's planning on sending him on a diplomatic mission to the Sand. Since Naruto wants to be Hokage in the future, Tsunade wants him to start learning more about how things work on the diplomatic side of things. She thought it'd be a good idea for him to start with someone he was already comfortable with, like Gaara."

Sasuke gave a small nod and said, "Makes sense, but I hope she's not actually thinking of letting him go alone. I don't think he'd actually learn that much…"

Kakashi smiled and said, "Not a chance. He's matured a good deal over the years, but we wouldn't make the mistake of sending him alone. Tsunade turned it into a two-man mission. She asked Shikamaru to tag along so he could help him out. He has some experience in the diplomatic area."

Sasuke turned to Kakashi and said, "I'm guessing Shikamaru didn't complain about this mission too much…"

Kakashi gave an eye closed smile and said, "Nope. Not at all. He was uncharacteristically quiet and accepting. He didn't even say anything about the mission being a drag…"

Sasuke wore a small smirk then looked away and said, "I can't imagine why…"

The two waited for a few more minutes before Naruto and Tsunade walked back to where they were. Tsunade gave the two an apologetic smile and said, "Sorry, I had to steal him for a second. Just trying to get our knucklehead to learn a few things about what it takes to be Hokage."

Sasuke replied in his usual monotone voice, "Don't worry, you did me a favor. He was getting on my nerves anyway." which earned a small squint from Naruto.

Kakashi decided it would be a good idea to intervene before the two started bickering again, so he quickly turned to Tsunade and said, "We'll be heading to the receiving department now."

Tsunade gave a small chuckle and said, "Good luck…" feeling a little bad for Kakashi since he had to deal with Naruto and Sasuke's bickering for the rest of the day.

Kakashi wore his same lazy expression and said, "Thanks. I'll need it." She gave him a small nod as she started to turn away, but then she remembered that she still had one thing left to do. She turned to Naruto and gave him a small, but quite menacing glare.

Naruto gave a nervous smile then asked, "Why're you looking at me like that Baa-chan?"

She forcefully poked his chest with her index finger and firmly said, "Just don't distract my patients...or my staff..."

Naruto scratched the back of his head and said with a nervous chuckle, "I'll do my best..."

Tsunade squinted and said, "You better..." before turning around and heading into a patient's room.

Naruto turned to Kakashi and Sasuke then nervously said, "Guess I better be on my best behavior, huh?"

Kakashi smiled then gave a small nod and said, "That would be wise…" before the three finally started heading towards the receiving department.

* * *

The three arrived at the receiving department and looked around to see that none of the shipments had arrived yet. As Sasuke looked around and saw that there wasn't a box in sight, he turned to Kakashi and said in a clearly annoyed voice, "I thought Tsunade said the first set of shipments should be here by now…"

Kakashi shrugged and said, "I guess the delivery people are running late as well…"

Sasuke let out a slightly annoyed sigh, then leaned against a wall with his arms crossed. Kakashi was a little annoyed too, but he knew exactly how to pass the time. He sat down on a nearby chair and let his body fall into a relatively relaxed position as he started to read his copy of Make-Out Tactics. _'This always makes everything better…'_ he thought with a content smile.

Naruto knew he would be bored out of his skull if he didn't make conversation, so he decided to at least try to talk to somebody. He was standing right next to Sasuke so it would be the perfect opportunity to bug him some more, but the glare the Uchiha had given him earlier was enough to make him keep his distance at the moment. Maybe he'd bother him after they got off the job. Hopefully, he had forgotten about payback by then… _'That just leaves Kakashi…' _he thought with a small grin. He turned to the gray-haired nin and saw that he was already back to his usual reading material. Naruto let out a small chuckle and said, "You never read anything else, do you?"

Kakashi looked up with one of his eye-closed smiles and said, "I do read_ other_ works of literature, but I read this more often because it's one of the _best_ pieces of literature."

"I highly doubt that..." replied Naruto with a small snort.

Kakashi shrugged as he looked back down to his book then said, "Don't knock it until you've tried it."

Naruto wore an amused smile and said, "I think I'll pass…" He had been forced to read far too much of those books by Jiraiya while they were on their journeys. _'Never doing that again…'_ he thought to himself with a shudder.

"You know, you should probably take it, Dobe. Pretty soon you might need it…"

Naruto registered what Sasuke had said then turned with furrowed eyebrows and said, "What does that mean?..."

Sasuke kept his face neutral and said, "You know exactly what it means, lipstick boy."

Naruto's eyes widened as he tried to think of a quick retort, but all he could manage were a few stutters showing that he had been taken way off guard by the jab at his improving love life.

Sasuke watched his reaction with a satisfied smirk. _'Not as much fun when the shoe is on the other foot is it, Dobe?'_

Kakashi dropped his book so that his one visible eye was peeping over the top and said in a particularly curious voice, "Lipstick boy? That sounds interesting…"

Naruto put Sasuke in a headlock with his left arm, then slapped his right hand over Sasuke's mouth. He turned to Kakashi with an obviously nervous expression then chuckled and said, "Ignore him Sensei." He gave Sasuke a menacing glare while keeping him in the headlock and whispering through gritted teeth, "He just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut!…"

Sasuke wore a smug smirk then elbowed Naruto in the stomach to free himself. As Naruto doubled back holding his stomach in pain, Sasuke turned to Kakashi with a smug smirk and said, "Dobe came home with a little souvenir from Sakura last night…"

Naruto kept one hand on his stomach as he recovered from the pain then glared at Sasuke and said, "I liked you better back in the old days…when you talked a lot less…"

Kakashi's eyes lit up as he held his book to his side then turned to Naruto and said, "You went to see Sakura again last night?!"

Naruto started scratching his head nervously as he opened his mouth to speak. This situation was getting worse by the second. Now Kakashi of all people was interested in his little expedition last night. That teme just had to open his big, fat mouth…

After standing there frozen for a second, Naruto decided he had just better try to handle this situation the best he could. He started to stutter out the beginnings of an explanation. but before he had a chance to say anything, the three heard the voice of a man yelling out, "Delivery!" as a wooden carriage entered the receiving department. It was loaded with multiple packs of water that were wrapped with a thin plastic film and a few boxes of food supplies as well.

Naruto's face lit up as he energetically said, "Looks like we've gotta get to work!" before spinning around and power walking in the direction of the carriage. He let out a sigh of relief and mumbled under his breath, "Thank you random delivery man…" as a few beads of sweat ran down the side of his face.

Kakashi gave a small squint and decided he'd get the full story from Sasuke later. Lipstick boy was far too interesting for him to not investigate further.

Sasuke wore a small smirk and thought to himself, _'Run hard, Dobe. Run hard…'_

When Naruto finally reached the delivery man, he thanked him profusely and shook his hand so hard that it felt like it would get ripped off. The delivery man was a bit confused as to why he was receiving such an enthusiastic welcome, especially since he was late, but he knew Naruto was the famed war hero, so he joyfully returned the extremely odd handshake.

The man informed Naruto that these particular shipments were for the 3rd floor and that the shipments for the other floors should be coming in shortly. Naruto thanked the man once again then used a multitude of shadow clones to quickly unload the carriage.

As Kakashi and Sasuke walked up to the carriage, Naruto picked up a box of food supplies then nodded in the direction of the packages and said, "All of these are going to the 3rd floor." He then quickly spun around and walked away towards the door leading to the hospital in an attempt to avoid any more conversation regarding the events of last night.

Kakashi and Sasuke picked up some of the boxes and nodded understandingly although they knew he was trying to gracefully avoid what they were talking about earlier. There would be time for that later. For now, they'd just carry the boxes in with him and let him think he got away with it.

* * *

As Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi reached the third floor, Naruto looked around expecting to see Shizune hanging out around the front desk again. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised to see Sakura sitting there writing something in a patient file. The three walked over to the desk and put the boxes down before Naruto greeted Sakura with an energetic, "Hey Sakura-chan!"

Sakura was startled a bit since she hadn't seen them come in, but after realizing it was her favorite baka, she gave him an affectionate smile and responded to him in a softer tone than usual. "Hi Naruto."

Sasuke watched the exchange between the two and could immediately tell that something was different. It was so obvious that he was pretty sure Kakashi had noticed it too. Naruto was always happy to see Sakura, but today his greeting was even more enthusiastic than usual. Add to that the fact that Sakura was using an even softer tone of voice than she usually did with the dobe and it was clear that something was undeniably different.

Sasuke kept his same blank stare and said, "We're here too you know."

Sakura's soft tone disappeared as she turned to him with a raised eyebrow and firmly said, "Yeah, but you guys weren't the ones who said hello." making sure to let them see some of her anger from their meddling seep into her response…although their meddling had actually helped out her and Naruto pretty well.

Sasuke gave a small shrug then coolly said, "We didn't get to say anything with how excited you guys were to see each other."

Sakura found herself at a loss for words for a moment, but quickly regained her composure and decided to try to cover her embarrassment with a threat. She squinted at Sasuke and said, "You're about three seconds away from getting punched through a wall."

Kakashi smiled and said, "Better be careful Sasuke. Wouldn't want to invoke her wrath…"

Sakura crossed her arms as she tilted her head up to the side with both eyes closed then said, "At least someone here has a sense of self-preservation…"

Sasuke smirked a bit more at the threat. He was sure that even if she wanted to punch him through a wall, she'd never be able to catch him, but despite that fact, it felt like it'd be a good idea to hold his tongue anyway, especially since he had already said all that he needed to say.

After they had all talked about random things for a bit longer, Kakashi decided to speak up and said, "It would be best if we got back to work. I don't think any of us need Tsunade to catch us relaxing on the job…"

Before anyone else could even nod or say anything in approval, the four heard a loud voice yell from a few feet away, "Too late!"

Kakashi slowly turned to see Tsunade stomping her way towards them. Watching her obviously annoyed form stomp towards them led to a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead as he tried to think of a viable explanation before she ripped them to shreds. He might've been able to think of something if he had more time, but before he knew it, Tsunade was standing right in front of them. She gave Sakura a small squint and said, "I thought you closed off this area for medical staff only…"

Sakura looked away a little shyly and said, "I did…"

Tsunade squinted once more, then said through gritted teeth, "Then why are you talking to our workers…" while casting the other members of Team 7 a menacing glare that made their blood run cold.

Sakura bowed a bit and said, "Sorry Shisou…" hoping to get her three team members out of trouble.

Tsunade let out a small sigh then mumbled something under her breath and turned around to leave. She cast one last glance at the remaining members of the famed Team 7 and said, "You guys better get out of here before you corrupt my best student." If she was honest, she didn't really have a problem with seeing Team 7 spend some quality time together on the job, but a Hokage had to keep up appearances.

Kakashi watched her retreating form and replied, "Yes Ma'am." in a soldier-like voice. After Tsunade had disappeared around a corner, Kakashi turned to everyone and said, "Well, you guys heard our Hokage. This area is only open to medical staff so let's get going…"

Sasuke acknowledged Sakura with a nod, then Naruto gave her a small wave and said, "See ya later Sakura-chan."

Sakura smiled and said, "See ya later." It was obvious he wanted to stay longer, but it was also obvious that he was grateful for even getting the opportunity to see her at all. _'That's my baka alright…'_ she thought with an affectionate smile.

As she watched the three of them start to walk away, she thought to herself for a second, then called out to Naruto one last time. As he turned around, she gave a small nod in her direction to motion for him to come back to her. He wore a clueless expression since he didn't know why she was calling him, but upon reaching her, she softly put a hand around his head to pull him closer then whispered into his ear, "Tsunade was only partially right. This area is open to medical staff…" then brushed her lips against his ear and said, _"…and Naruto Uzumaki of course…" _

After saying that, she pushed him away and picked up her patient file while looking away with a mysteriously mischievous smile. Naruto started turning red from his neck up as he turned towards her with slightly parted lips. Sakura's smile widened as she watched his reaction out of the corner of her eye. _'Totally worth it.' _

Meanwhile, Naruto was trying to wrap his head around what had just happened. First, Sakura had kissed him last night and now she was pretty openly flirting with him. And he could tell that this wasn't the same friendly banter that used to go on between them in the past, this was somehow…different. It looked like she really wanted him around, and not just as a friend, but as something more. He didn't miss the fact that she used a softer tone and smile than usual when he first arrived, and he most certainly didn't miss the small blush she wore after her little comment just now. He cast her a small but affectionate smile while watching her scribble away in her patient file. _'She's always cute whenever she acts like she's working…'_

After a few more moments of thought, Naruto's smile turned mischievous as he thought to himself, _'Well if she wants me around, I'll stick around…'_ He leaned on the desk and softly said, "I'll make sure to keep that in mind Haruno-san…" Sakura smiled then blushed a bit at his use of honorifics before giving a small nod, never once looking up from her file. Naruto wore a satisfied smile at her reaction then stood up straight and walked back over to Kakashi and Sasuke.

Sasuke watched as Naruto walked back with an unreadable smile set on his lips. _'Whatever Sakura said had to have been really interesting...'_ he silently thought to himself. Add to that the fact that Naruto had turned redder than a tomato while he was over there and Sasuke could tell that there was definitely something going on between the two…not that the lipstick mark from last night wasn't already hinting at that anyway…

After Naruto reached where they were, Sasuke wore a small grin and said, "What was that about?"

Naruto kept walking with his smile set firmly in place and said, "Nothing you need to concern yourself with Teme…"

Sasuke simply smiled and turned away. Even he wasn't so cruel as to keep bothering the dobe while Sakura had obviously left him in such a good mood. Kakashi didn't seem to share that sentiment though. He held up his copy of Make-Out Tactics with a seemingly innocent, eye-closed smile and asked, "Are you sure you won't be needing this?"

Naruto looked over to Kakashi to see what he was holding up then looked away with a small smile before softly muttering, "I hate you guys…"

* * *

"All done for today!" said Tsunade to one of her patients with a glint of pride. She was treating a dark-haired nin for some chronic shoulder pain due to an old battle wound. Due to her treatments, the man's pain had become an afterthought, and even though there were some bad days, Tsunade had managed to rid him of his pain for the most part. The man was beyond grateful. He never realized how much he used his arm until it hurt him every time he used it. If he was honest, it had gotten to the point where his arm was single-handedly sucking the joy out of his life, but now he was just glad that Tsunade's treatments had proven to be so effective.

After hearing that Tsunade was done treating him, the nin rose to his feet and expressed his profound thanks for how she continually took care of him. It was a great honor to be treated by one of the Legendary Sannin and the 5th Hokage. She waved off his thanks and said, "Just doing my job. Now get outta here…" The man gave a small smile then bowed a bit before walking out of the room.

Tsunade let out a small sigh then picked up a file she had placed on a small table. She looked for the man's name then checked him off with a triumphant smile and said, "Another patient down." She then scanned the page for her next patient. Upon locating the patient's name and room number, she closed the file and said, "Onto the next patient then." before turning to head out of the room. As she stepped out of the room, she turned to the right and was almost run over by Naruto who was carrying a large pack of water bottles. If it weren't for Naruto's quick reflexes, she'd probably be on the floor right now. Fortunately for her, he had made some weird twisting motion to avoid hitting her. After regaining her bearings, Tsunade looked at Naruto quizzically and asked, "What're you doing up here? This is the 3rd floor…"

Naruto wore a wide grin and said, "Sakura-chan told me I could come up here."

Tsunade squinted a bit and said, "Oh did she now…"

"Yep!" replied Naruto in a voice that was more energetic than he realized.

Tsunade squinted once more and asked, "So where are Kakashi and Sasuke?"

Naruto paused for a bit then wore a sheepish grin and said, "Well, she kinda only told me I could come up here…"

Tsunade gave an amused grin after realizing that something had to be going on between the two, then raised an eyebrow suggestively and said, "Hmmm. Interesting. So, she only gave _you _permission to come up here?"

Naruto chuckled a bit then said, "Yeah, something like that. I hope it's not a problem. I haven't been bothering anybody…"

Tsunade shrugged with a noticeable smirk and said, "Well if she's the head medic now, she can do as she pleases… Right, Naruto?"

Naruto let out a small chuckle then replied with his usual foxy grin. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

At first, he was worried that Tsunade would rip him a new one, then make him leave the 3rd floor, but it seemed like she understood that something was up. He shouldn't be surprised since everyone seemed to be involved in his relationship with Sakura...

He wore a small smile and said, "Thanks, Baa-chan."

Tsunade gave a small shrug then waved him off and said, "I didn't do anything." before giving him a small wink and turning to walk away.

Naruto wore a small smile and nodded in reply before continuing to carry the pack of water further into the 3rd floor. He had been trying to think of a way to see Sakura covertly, but so far, he hadn't thought of any good plans. _'Oh well, I'll think of something…'_ he thought with a small smirk.

* * *

_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


	9. My Girl

**READER INFO:**

We finally arrive at the final chapter... To everyone who has read this story, you have my profound thanks! And to those who read, reviewed, and/or PM'd me, a very, very special thank you! I really appreciate the support and it's always encouraging as an author to see that people are enjoying the story. This has been a great experience, and I hope to write more stories in the future!

FUN FACT:

_The title of this chapter is a reference to the classic hit song My Girl by the Temptations._

* * *

Ch. 9

Sakura had just finished up with one of her patients and sent him home. To be specific, it was the same man who was so eager to get out a few days ago. He was overjoyed when it was finally time for him to leave and he actually turned out to be a pretty nice guy underneath it all. Sakura looked around the now empty patient room with a small smile. Sure, this job could be tough, but she loved it anyway, and it was moments like these when she knew she had helped someone out that made it all worth it.

She picked up his patient file and started writing something in it but was interrupted by what sounded like a small thud coming from outside. It wasn't all that uncommon for people to drop stuff all around the hospital, so she usually ignored the random thuds, but this time she noticed a water bottle roll into the doorway of the room.

She let out a small sigh then picked up the water bottle and peered out of the doorway to see who was causing the commotion.

'_How did he even manage that?' _thought Sakura with a small smile as she watched Naruto pick up a few water bottles that had fallen out of the slightly ripped pack of waters he was carrying.

She smiled to herself then decided to step back into the room before he caught her staring at him. He'd probably come over there and make a big deal out of it...although she was actually starting to like the thought of that happening. As a matter of fact, she was starting to feel very tempted to let him catch her just so that he could come to keep her company. The idea was so tempting that she actually started thinking about peeking back out. After considering the idea for a bit longer, she giddily smiled to herself and thought, _'Maybe I'll just take a little peek, and if he sees me, he sees me…' _After rationalizing her actions to herself, she turned to peek out of the doorway but jumped back in surprise when she saw Naruto already standing there. The fact that he was already standing in the doorway led to her being a lot closer to him than she initially anticipated and before she knew it, she was lost in those sapphire blue eyes of his. She had always liked looking into his eyes, and she had fallen into the habit of admiring them for the way they could just light up anyone's day. They had that mysterious power hidden behind them…

While she was admiring his eyes, she heard him say something, but she was too out of it to pick up what he said. She knocked herself out of her trance a bit and said, "What did you say?"

Naruto smiled and repeated himself. "I said I'm gonna need that."

Sakura tilted her head and asked, "Gonna need what?"

Naruto nodded towards her hand with a small smile and said, "That water bottle you're holding."

Sakura looked down at her hand and said, "Oh! Sorry…" as she quickly handed him the water bottle.

Naruto let out a small chuckle at how lost she appeared to be then said, "It's no problem." as he put the water bottle back into the pack and tried to hold the ripped part closed.

Sakura finally brought herself back to the conversation fully as she leaned back against the wall and watched Naruto fumble around with the ripped part of the water pack. She wore a tender smile while watching him and thought, _'He's such a nutball…' _although she had learned to admire that side of him.

After he had got a good hold on the ripped part of the water pack, she gave him a playful smile and said, "Maybe try not to be such a klutz next time."

Naruto carefully set the water pack down on the floor then walked into the room with a foxy smile and suavely said, "_Maaaaaybe_…I did it on purpose…" while leaning towards her so that he was now a few inches away from her face.

Sakura wore a slightly shocked expression for a few seconds, but after realizing he had basically been masterminding this little interaction they were having, she couldn't stop her lips from turning into a roguish smile. He may act like an idiot sometimes, but the truth was that he could be really crafty when he wanted to be… She blushed a bit and said, "Now why would you do that?" while instinctively leaning towards him a bit as well.

Naruto leaned in a little closer and softly said, "Why else?" while looking into her eyes with a somewhat feral smile.

Sakura's cheeks picked up a rosy tint due to his close proximity and the way he was looking at her only made her cheeks heat up all the more. He had never looked at her like _that_ before, and now that she thought of it, she had never seen him look at anyone else like that before either. It was the first time she had seen that look from him in her entire life. When they were teenagers, he was always so energetic and loud with his emotions. Seeing this more composed Naruto was so different that is was positively enticing. The fact that he was acting in a way that he never acted before gave him a mysterious and alluring air, but what made her the happiest was the fact that it seemed like this side of him was reserved only for her, no one else. She cast him a playful smile and said, "You're not nearly as much of a baka as people think you are…"

Naruto wore a wide smile and said, "I know…but you'll be surprised what people do and say around you when they think you're a bumbling idiot."

Sakura started laughing then pushed him away a little more and said, "Get outta here, Whiskers…" all the while hoping that he would ignore her and stay.

Naruto tilted his head to the side with a sly smile and said, "What did you call me?"

Sakura blinked a few times in shock after realizing she had given him a pet name, then her eyes widened a bit before she turned away and quickly said, "Nothing…" trying to hide her embarrassment. Her voice came out in a slightly higher pitch than usual and she was sure that Naruto had noticed because he now had a smug grin plastered across his face.

Sakura turned away and tried to close her eyes to shut out his annoyingly smug grin, but she was just greeted by his voice instead… "_Sakura-chaaaan…_"

He had been using a voice that was even smoother than the one he'd used when they were talking at the front desk. It was a soft voice that was smooth, low, and almost predatory…and it was driving her crazy…

Naruto watched with an amused smile as she tried to hide her embarrassment. Her eyes had now dropped a bit as she looked away and she had also lifted her two arms to hug herself like she always did when she was embarrassed. He always thought that she was cute whenever she started acting the way she was acting now. Her shyness always gave her a more delicate look than usual, and Naruto liked seeing that side of her. He also loved to be the one to bring that side of her out…

Naruto's smile turned mischievous as he leaned towards her ear and whispered, "You know, I hope you didn't kiss me last night just so you could land one on my whiskers..."

SLAP!

"Ow Sakura-chan!" said Naruto while rubbing his cheek. _'Where did all of the delicacy go?'_ he thought to himself. He couldn't help but wear a small smile though. He had to really be driving her crazy if she was resorting to slapping him. She rarely hit him at all anymore. Of course, he could tell she had held back considerably compared to how she used to slap him in the past, but it still stung a bit. _'Definitely Sakura-chan…' _he thought with a small smile.

She turned her head up to the side and said, "That's what you get…"

Naruto kept rubbing his cheek with a small smile and said, "I thought we were past the 'Naruto as a punching bag' phase Sakura-chan…"

Sakura squinted at him and said, "And I thought you had grown a better sense of humor…"

"It was just a small joke Sakura-chan." said Naruto with one of those eye-closed smiles he loved to use to try to get out of trouble.

"Well, it wasn't funny…" said Sakura as she sat down on the patient bed with her arms crossed. She looked away with a bit of an eye roll then mumbled to herself, "Suggesting I kissed you because of your whiskers… That's the stupidest thing I ever heard…"

Naruto sat down next to her then smiled mischievously and playfully said, "So if it wasn't for the whiskers, why did you kiss me last night Sakura-chan?"

Sakura paused for a second then turned to him with a small smile and said, "You don't know?"

Naruto finally grew a bit more serious then looked up with a small smile and said, "I think I do." The blond tilted his head to the side as if to say something else, but Sakura placed a finger over his mouth to cut him off and said, "I kissed you last night because I like you, Naruto…as more than a friend."

Upon hearing that, Naruto's lips slightly parted in shock as he turned to Sakura and saw her sitting there looking at him with a warm smile. He had expected her to turn away and maybe try to hide a blush or something after saying what she had just said, but she didn't…not this time. This time she just kept looking at him. He could tell that she was a little uncomfortable under his gaze and if he was honest, it looked like she really wanted to look away, but for some reason she was choosing to keep looking at him anyway. He was starting to wonder why she would do that, but as soon as he looked into her eyes, the reason she had continued to look at him was crystal clear. It was in those emerald green eyes that she had left all of her feelings on display for him to see. All of the feelings she had for him; from the feelings she had already told him about to the ones she couldn't put into words, were hidden in those eyes. As Naruto looked into those beautiful emerald green eyes, he couldn't help but wear a tender smile of his own. The girl of his dreams finally felt the same way about him as he did about her, and it felt great.

Sakura looked at him for a few moments longer before finally looking away. She knew her feelings were on display the whole time, and she had chosen to do that purposefully, but now that she looked away, she couldn't escape this feeling that she had exposed herself in some way. However, her doubts were carried away when Naruto leaned in and returned the kiss on the cheek while softly saying, "I love you too Sakura-chan."

After he said that, Sakura wore a soft smile then leaned on his shoulder as his arm instinctively wrapped around her back. It didn't feel like there was anything else to say after that, so the two just sat there taking in the moment for a bit.

After a while, Sakura finally broke the silence wearing a small smile and said, "You know, I never said I loved you…"

Naruto wore a foxy grin and said, "Do you?"

Sakura pretended to think about it for a little, then bit the bottom of her lip as she turned to him and softly said, "Yes…"

Naruto wore a wide smile and said, "I know…although you have a funny way of showing it…" while starting to rub his cheek again.

Sakura started laughing then lifted her hands to his cheek and said, "You're such a baby!" as she started using her green chakra to heal him.

"You just don't know the pain of slaps Sakura-chan! You end up with so many sores, and they just hurt more as time goes on…"

Sakura looked at him from the side and said, "Don't you have a healing factor?"

Naruto wore a wide smile and said, "Yeah, but that doesn't mean the sores don't hurt. It just means they hurt for less time."

Sakura saw she wasn't getting anywhere so she dropped her eyes as she finally resigned herself and said, "Fine... I'm sorry for slapping you Naruto. Happy?"

Naruto gave her a wide-toothed smile and said, "Very! Although it would help if you kissed it better when you were finished..."

Sakura giggled and said, "You'll be lucky if I don't slap the other one." earning a small chuckle from Naruto.

After she said that, a moment of silence dragged on between the two before Naruto spoke up and said, "Hey, Sakura-chan. I wanted to talk to you about something."

Sakura kept healing him and said, "What is it?"

Naruto turned to her and said, "Well, Tsunade just told me that she's sending me on a diplomatic mission to the Sand with Shikamaru."

A slight frown marred Sakura's face as she tilted her head a bit and asked, "When?" hoping that it wouldn't be too soon.

Naruto gave a weak smile and replied, "We leave early tomorrow morning."

Sakura's frown became more noticeable as she asked, "For how long?" hoping that he at least wouldn't be gone for too long.

Naruto gave another small smile and said, "Four days."

Sakura looked away and said, "Oh…" in a noticeably dejected voice. Four days wasn't too long, but it was still gonna be a while for her to be without her favorite knucklehead, especially since things were finally picking up between them. She wore a sad smile then decided to try to be strong so that he wouldn't see that she was too bothered. The last thing she needed was for him to be so worried about her that he didn't learn anything on his mission. She finished healing him then gave him a small nudge and said, "Stay safe, ok?" Naruto looked towards her curiously then said, "You always worry about me Sakura-chan." while studying her with a hidden smile.

Sakura noticed his smile was a little strange, but she figured it was his way of coping with the fact that he was getting sent out on a mission while he really wanted to stay with her in Konoha. She leaned towards him then gave him a lingering kiss on the same cheek she had just healed and said, "Something to remember me by until you get back." Hopefully, that would cheer him up.

The wide smile Naruto was trying to hide finally broke to the surface as he turned to her and said, "Actually, about that… I was kinda able to convince Baa-chan that Shikamaru would be too distracted to properly train me with Temari over there."

Sakura tilted her head a bit and said, "What does that mean?"

Naruto looked around at nowhere in particular and said, "Well, I kinda asked if me and Shikamaru could have a 3rd team member…"

Sakura's eyes lit up as she turned to Naruto and softly said, "Really?... What did she say?"

Naruto wore one of his trademark wide grins and said, "She said I could choose whoever I wanted as long as I knew they'd keep me in line..."

After he said that, all Sakura could do was try to fight the tears that were threatening to come to her eyes. She didn't understand why, but it meant so much to her that this idiot had gone out of his way to find a way to take her with him. Maybe Ino was right. Maybe no one deserved Naruto, but Sakura was sure glad to have him. She tried to push away the tears by switching back into her playful mood, then turned to Naruto and said, "So, who're you gonna take?"

Naruto gave her a small smile, then lifted his hand to rub at a tear that was resting at the bottom of her eye. She looked away with a small smile then shyly said, "Thanks..." as she fully wiped away the tear herself. After she was done wiping away the tear, she perked up and said, "So, you still haven't told me who you're taking yet."

Naruto's smile widened, then he lifted his hand from her face and put it on his chin. He looked around at nothing in particular and playfully said, "I'm not sure..."

She pursed her lips while looking away to act like she was thinking hard about who he should take, then turned back to him and said, "Well, my personal suggestion would be someone who's smart. They should also be strong..." then added on, "…and maybe even beautiful…" she said while casting him a sweet but playful smile.

Naruto peered into her eyes for a bit, then wore a wide smile while tilting his head to the side and said, "No…I think I'll just take you Sakura-chan!"

Sakura jumped off the bed and yelled, "BAKA!" as she cocked her fist back and began to pummel him with small punches starting with one upside the head.

Naruto started laughing then let his body fall onto the hospital bed while crouching into a fetal position. "It was just a joke Sakura-chan! You already know I think you're all those things and a lot more!"

Sakura stood over him and the hospital bed as she bit her tongue and said, "You're not getting out of it that easy!" She balled up a fist and hit him once and said, "I already told you." then hit him after every word. "Some. Jokes. Aren't. Funny!"

Naruto kept laughing until the small punches stopped. He waited for a bit then cracked one eye open towards Sakura and asked, "Is it safe to come out now?"

Sakura looked down at him with a squint and said, "That depends… Why did you wait to tell me I would be going with you? You let me think it'd just be you and Shikamaru while you could've just told me I was going from the start…"

Naruto gave a nervous chuckle and said, "Well, I kinda wanted to see how you'd react." He started laughing goofily and said, "From what I saw, I think you reeeeeeeeeeeally would've missed me…" Sakura blushed a bit then rolled up one of her shirt sleeves with an ominous smile and said, "I think I need to teach you some manners…"

As she started to roll up the other sleeve, Naruto couldn't stop himself from laughing, but he held out a hand in a stopping motion and said, "Now let's not be too hasty Sakura-chan…"

Sakura finished rolling up her other sleeve then cracked her knuckles and said, "Why not? I think you deserve everything you're about to get after letting me think you were gonna be gone for four days…"

Naruto finally sat upright so that they were eye to eye, then smiled and said, "Come on, don't be like that Sakura-chan." He grabbed her hands with an honest smile and said, "You know I could never leave my girl behind."

After he said that, Sakura gave him a small squint as she felt her anger start to fade a bit. She never could stay mad at him for long… She looked away for a second then crossed her arms as she looked back to him with a teasing smile and said, "So I'm your girl now?..."

Naruto thought about what he had just said, then started twisting his finger around in his ear nervously as he turned to her and said, "Well, I think so… Right?"

Sakura wore an affectionate smile and thought to herself, _'He's so adorable…'_ She uncrossed her arms to lift a hand to his face then said, "No. Not yet."

Naruto tilted his head to the side in confusion, then mumbled, "Well that doesn't make sense."

Sakura rubbed the side of his face with her thumb and softly said, "Let me show you…" as she stepped in between his knees and slowly pressed her lips against his.

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as he looked down to see Sakura kissing him with her eyes closed. He was shocked to say the least, but after he realized the moment was real, there was only one thought he could think to himself. '_Finally…'_

His eyes fell shut as if they had a mind of their own then he raised a hand to her face and parted his slightly chapped lips to return the kiss. As he returned the kiss, he made sure to take in every moment because he was sure that this was a moment he wanted to remember for the rest of his life. Sakura's lips were soft like he always imagined they'd be, and the sensation of her kissing him back was a memory he would forever cherish. As he kissed her some more, he noticed that it wasn't only the physical sensation that made the kiss special, it was who he had shared the kiss with. He leaned into her a bit more as his body was now flooded with an overwhelming warmth that he knew she was feeling as well.

As soon as Naruto started returning the kiss, Sakura moved her hand behind his head with a small smile and pulled him closer to kiss him more. She loved the way his lips felt, and it only made it better when he started kissing her back. Add to that the fact that his lips had been chapped a bit at first but were now a lot moister due to her chapstick. She smiled while kissing him and thought, _'You're all mine Naruto Uzumaki.'_ as she looped her arms around his neck. Naruto responded by lifting his other hand to her waist and pulling her closer to himself.

As time went on, the two started kissing each other with a certain ferocity. The hungry kisses made it seem like the air in the room had a certain charge to it, but after a while, Naruto slowed down and started kissing Sakura a bit more slowly, intent on savoring every taste. Sakura noticed the change and melted into his arms as she returned the slow kisses, making sure to communicate her love in every single one. The two would break away for a few moments to collect air, but all of the feelings they had been suppressing were now bubbling over and they were helpless to resist.

After what seemed like the longest time of just kissing and holding each other close, the two finally broke apart and looked at each other with faint blushes on their faces.

After a moment of silence, Sakura shyly looked up to Naruto then gave him a bashful smile and said, "Now I'm your girl…"

Naruto looked at her with an affectionate smile, and for once, the talkative ninja had no words. All he could do was smile. Sakura felt her blush deepen at his reaction so she looked away with a shy giggle and said, "If you stay quiet like this every time I kiss you, I might have to kiss you more often…"

Naruto finally left his trance and said, "I think that's a good idea…" while wearing a small smile.

Sakura rubbed his face while raising an eyebrow and said, "Yeah, I bet you'd like that wouldn't you…"

Naruto smiled a bit more then placed his hand over hers and softly said, "Can you blame me?"

Sakura was trying not to blush so much, but it wasn't working so she looked away with a small smile and answered, "I guess not…"

Naruto smiled at her then brushed a strand of pink hair out of the way and said, "You're so beautiful Sakura-chan…"

Sakura wore a small smile as she looked up to him, then placed her hand around his head and pulled him in for one last kiss.

After she broke away, she gave Naruto a loving smile and said, "Thank you Naruto."

Naruto responded with a small nod then Sakura finally turned away while slowly forcing her hands to let go of him.

As she walked over to the patient file she'd put down, Naruto tilted his head and asked, "What're you doing now?" not really wanting to let her go.

Sakura gave a small smile and said, "I have to get back to work and make arrangements. I'm the head medic and I'm gonna be out for four days."

Naruto thought about it then nodded and said, "Oh yeah, that makes sense…"

Sakura looked at him for a bit longer, then smiled and said, "Don't worry. I'll make sure to see you later Whiskers." while shooting him a small wink.

Naruto wore a wide smile at hearing his pet name again, then nodded in reply as he finally lifted himself off of the hospital bed.

Sakura shot him one last smile then turned around to walk away. While she was about to step out of the doorway, Naruto wore a foxy grin and said, "So I assume you'll be my girl on the mission?" with a somewhat mischievous smile.

Sakura stopped in her tracks while wearing a sideways smirk then looked over her shoulder and said, "I don't know… Let's keep it a mystery. After all, a little mystery never hurt anybody…" before shooting him another small wink and walking away with a sway of the hips.

Naruto smiled at the reply then silently said to himself, "I'm gonna marry her…"

* * *

Sasuke and Kakashi were waiting for the next pack of shipments to arrive when Naruto burst through the doors to the receiving department with an annoyingly bright smile on his face. Naruto usually wore a bright smile, but this smile wasn't even close to looking like his normal smile. Something was definitely different.

Sasuke gave him a peculiar glance and said, "What's got you in such a good mood?"

Naruto tried to wipe the smile from his face unsuccessfully and said, "Oh, it's nothing…"

Sasuke wore a slightly annoyed frown and said, "Then why are you coming in here assaulting us with that smile?"

Naruto looked indignant then tried to stop smiling and said, "Look, I can stop smiling. See?!"

Kakashi dropped his book a little to peep over the top, then said, "You're still smiling..."

Naruto protested, "No I'm not!" while being unable to push the smile from his face.

Sasuke looked at him and said in a brutally monotone voice, "Yes you are."

Naruto started stuttering out something but then he just decided to cross his arms as he turned away and said, "Just leave me alone…"

Sasuke looked away and said, "Whatever…" although he was now interested in what had Naruto in such a good mood. Of course, he already had his suspicions, but there was only one way to find out.

He waited for a few minutes until Naruto thought he was in the clear, then said, "Naruto?"

Naruto turned and said, "Yeah?" looking clueless as ever.

Sasuke kept his face neutral and said, "I just noticed, you've got a little something…" while gesturing towards his mouth.

Naruto's eyes widened as he almost yelled, "No way!"

'_There's no way I have another lipstick mark!'_ thought Naruto as he started scrubbing away at his lips vehemently. _'I hope I haven't been walking through the hospital with one!'_

Kakashi let out an audible snicker and hid behind his book while Sasuke started smiling and shaking his head.

As Naruto was scrubbing away at his lips, he wore a small squint then turned around as his eyes dawned with realization. If he remembered correctly Sakura never wore lipstick to the hospital. She only wore clear chapstick, and last time he checked, you can't see that after someone kisses you. That sneaky teme had tricked him…

Naruto turned to Sasuke with a glare and said, "I never had anything on my face did I?..."

Sasuke smirked and said, "Nope. But I find it interesting that you started rubbing your _lips_ when you thought you did…"

Naruto growled a bit and said, "I hate you…"

Sasuke let out a small smile then turned serious and asked, "So why did you start rubbing your lips, Naruto?"

Naruto looked away and said, "Joke's over Teme…" but Sasuke simply wore the same neutral expression and said, "You still haven't answered my question."

Naruto was about to respond with whatever surly retort he could think of, but he turned to Sasuke and saw that the teme was being dead serious. This wasn't the teasing Sasuke from before, this was the same Sasuke who gave him advice when he first got back from the Sound.

Sasuke noticed that Naruto had finally caught on, so he gave him a small smile and repeated himself one last time. "Why did you start rubbing your lips?"

Naruto thought about the question for a bit, then looked down with a warm smile and softly said, "Because of my girl…"

Sasuke paused for a second then nodded while wearing a small smile and said, "Good… Now, aren't you glad you took a risk?"

Naruto dropped his eyes and said, "You asked me that question just so you could say 'I told you so.'?"

Sasuke relaxed back into his chair and said, "Of course not…" then smirked and said, "…but I did tell you."

Naruto shook his head then smiled and said, "You're something else." to which Sasuke gave a small shrug.

Naruto shook his head some more before being interrupted by Kakashi. "It looks like congratulations are in order." Kakashi walked over to him then gave a small smile and said, "I'm truly happy for you guys."

Naruto smiled and replied, "Thanks Sensei. I'm happy too…"

Kakashi wore a small smile of his own and said, "I know. I can tell…" Kakashi was going to leave it at that, but he couldn't resist the urge to bother Naruto one last time so he gave an eye-closed smile and said, "Also, Sasuke told me all about last night, but don't worry, it'll be our little secret. Not that last night is relevant compared to what happened today…"

Naruto squinted at Kakashi then turned to Sasuke and mumbled, "Traitor…" to which Sasuke simply smirked.

* * *

_The next day_

It was early morning as Tsunade, Shikamaru and the other members of the Konoha 11 (excluding Naruto and Sakura) stood in front of the main gate leading out of Konoha.

Shikamaru glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost time for him and Naruto to set out. There was just one problem…Naruto still hadn't arrived yet. Shikamaru gave a small eye roll and thought to himself, _'Typical…'_ He decided not to think about it too much and instead decided to pass the time by smoking a cigar. Maybe he'd watch the clouds a bit too… He popped a cigar in his mouth then grabbed his lighter to light it, but right before he could light it, he heard a familiar energetic voice. "Hey guys!"

He let out a small sigh, then checked the time. 6:59 AM. Shikamaru shook his head and thought, _'Same Naruto. Always cutting it close…'_ He then put away his cigar and lighter before turning towards the voice of his old friend. As he turned around, he saw that it wasn't only Naruto, but also most of Team 7. The only missing member was Sasuke. _'They must've come to see Naruto off as well…'_ he thought to himself. He examined them for a bit longer, then furrowed his eyebrows after realizing Sakura had a backpack on as well.

He turned to Tsunade and whispered, "I thought this was a two-man mission."

Tsunade smiled and said, "It was…but Naruto thought you'd be too distracted to train him properly with Temari around, so he asked for a 3rd member…"

Shikamaru let out a small huff to hide his growing blush then said, "That idiot..." although he couldn't help but wear a small smile at how crafty Naruto was being. Shikamaru looked to the side as he shook his head and thought, _'Yeah, he wanted to take Sakura along so he could learn more…Right…'_

Shikamaru shook his head some more then turned to Tsunade and said, "You know, if Sakura goes, _he's_ gonna be the one that's too distracted…"

Tsunade shrugged and said, "Oh well. Too late to change it now." while wearing a proud grin.

Shikamaru looked at her with a bit more suspicion and said, "What aren't you telling me?..."

Tsunade wore a small smile then shrugged and nodded towards Naruto and Sakura. Shikamaru looked towards them, then looked back with a loud sigh and said, "You've gotta be kidding me…"

Tsunade shook her head and said, "Nope." She examined him a bit and said, "I thought you'd be happy for them."

Shikamaru let out another loud sigh then said, "Don't get me wrong. I am happy for them…but this mission is gonna be such a drag…" He could just see all of the weird looks they'd be giving each other if they were officially together now.

Tsunade started laughing and said, "Deal with it."

Just then, Naruto walked up to them with his usual smile in place. "Hey, Shikamaru. You ready for our mission?" Shikamaru turned to him and answered, "Yeah, I'm ready. The question is are you ready?"

"I'm always ready for a mission Shikamaru, you should know that."

Shikamaru gave him a suspicious glance and said, "Yeah, yeah. Just don't let me catch you two giving each other googly eyes, or worse…"

Naruto looked at Shikamaru with wide eyes and said, "You know?!"

Shikamaru gave him his usual lazy glare and said, "Yeah…I know."

Naruto smiled a bit then whispered, "Well, keep it on the down-low. I don't know if Sakura-chan wants anyone to know yet."

Shikamaru shrugged and said, "Why wouldn't she?"

Naruto thought about it and said, "I don't know… Sometimes she just likes keeping these things private, you know."

Shikamaru gave him a lazy stare and said, "I've watched you and Sakura for a long time. I know you don't care if anyone knows. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure you _want_ people to know, and if Sakura loves you the way I know she does, she'll want the same."

Naruto thought about it then said, "Maybe you're right, but still…just keep it under wraps for now."

Shikamaru shrugged and said, "Whatever." then added on, "Congratulations, in any case."

Naruto gave a small nod and said, "Thanks."

The two were interrupted by Sakura who walked up to them with a curious glance and said, "What're you guys talking about over here?"

Naruto turned to her and said, "Oh nothing. Just going over the mission, that's all." He decided to change the subject and asked, "You ready for our next adventure Sakura-chan?"

Sakura perked up and said, "Ready as I'll ever be."

Naruto cast her a wide smile and said, "Alright! That's what I like to hear."

Shikamaru wore a small smile then said, "If you guys are done talking, it's already past time to leave."

Sakura turned to him and said, "We're ready when you are."

Shikamaru nodded and said, "Then let's get going."

As they all walked over to everyone to say their goodbyes, Naruto turned to Sakura with an inquisitive stare and said, "Hey Sakura-chan?"

Sakura turned to him and said, "What's up?"

Naruto looked a little apprehensive at first, but after scratching his head for a bit, he finally asked, "Do you mind if people know?"

Sakura tilted her head to the side a bit and said, "Know what?"

Naruto gave a small smile and said, "Well…about us…"

Sakura wore a small smile then looked over to where everyone else was standing. Naruto didn't want her to feel pressured, so he quickly held up both hands and started insisting, "It's ok if you aren't! I was just-" She placed a finger on his mouth to silence him while wearing a small smile and said, "You're such a baka…" before tiptoeing and planting a soft kiss on his lips. Naruto's eyes went wide for a second then he heard a wolf whistle from Kiba before Sakura pulled away with a raised eyebrow and said, "Does that answer your question?"

Naruto was still a little stunned, but he managed to give her a small smirk and say, "Yes…" He fidgeted with his backpack straps, then looked up at nothing in particular as he continued, "…but maybe you can answer it again? I didn't quite catch it the first time…" Sakura gave him a mischievous smile then leaned in and said, "Well if you didn't catch it the first time…" while stepping forward and giving him another kiss.

Shikamaru shook his head a bit and thought to himself, _'It starts…'_ although he couldn't stop smiling at the fact that the two were finally together.

Kiba looked at the two with a sick smile then yelled out, "Alright, alright!… Get a room already!" making Naruto and Sakura finally separate while casting annoyed smiles at each other.

Meanwhile, Hinata used her elbow to hit Kiba directly in one of his chakra points. Kiba yelled out a pained "OWWW!" as he grabbed his now numb side. He turned to Hinata and said, "That was a bit much, don't you think?!" Akamaru barked in agreement.

Hinata continued to look forward and said, "They're happy. Be happy for them."

Kiba kept holding the side of his abdomen and protested, "I am happy for them!" then smiled and continued, "They just need to get a room…" Hinata turned and gave him a small glare before looking away towards Naruto and Sakura again. Kiba shook his head while wearing a small smile then said, "At least Akamaru's on my side…"

Naruto turned towards Kiba and said, "Yeah, I'm not surprised… That runt has had it out for me since he was a pup."

Kiba rubbed Akamaru's head and said, "Who? This guy? That's not true."

Naruto gave a small scoff and said, "Yeah it is. He always sides with whoever's not on my side, and I'm pretty sure he used to pee on me when I was sleeping…"

As everyone started snickering, Kiba laughed and said, "That was just because he liked you…"

Naruto looked at Akamaru suspiciously and said, "Yeah, he must've liked me a lot more than everyone else…"

Kiba shrugged with a small grin and said, "Maybe he did…" trying to suppress his laughter.

Before anyone could say anything else, Rock Lee punched the air triumphantly and said, "ALLOW ME TO BE THE FIRST TO OFFER MY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH! AND A SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO NARUTO FOR CAPTURING THE HEART OF KONOHA'S MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWER!"

Naruto scratched the back of his head then said, "Errrhhh, thanks, but, sorry Bushy Brows. Sasuke, Kakashi, Sai and Shikamaru already beat you to it."

Rock Lee's head plopped down in disappointment, but he quickly regained his fire and said, "THAT IS FINE! I WILL GLADLY TAKE MY PLACE AS THE 5TH PERSON TO CONGRATULATE YOU TWO!"

Sakura smiled then tilted her head a bit and said, "Actually…you're also behind Shisou, Ino and Shizune…" Tsunade gave a small smile while Ino stood proud of the fact that she knew before most people.

Rock Lee's head dropped down once more, then he lifted his head resolutely and said, "I WILL NOT BE DISCOURAGED! EIGHTH PLACE IS STILL NOT LAST!"

Everyone started laughing at his unbreakable attitude, then Naruto gave him a thumbs up and said, "You got it bushy brows!"

Shikamaru checked the time once more, then turned to the two with a small smile and said, "I know this is a great moment and all, but are we ever gonna leave?"

Naruto turned to him then looked out into the distance with a wide smile and said, "Good point."

Sakura nodded and said, "Yeah. Let's get going."

The two received their congratulations and goodbyes from everyone present, then they all finally started to walk away from the main gate of the village.

They hadn't walked for more than a minute when Sakura noticed Naruto turn to stare at one of the trees in the forest while wearing a small smile. She looked towards the tree, but she couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary. She turned to Naruto and said, "What is it?"

Naruto smiled as he looked towards the trees then said, "Look harder."

Sakura searched the trees with a bit more focus then let out a small smile as she saw Sasuke leaning against a tree wearing the faintest of smiles. He gave the two a small nod then disappeared in a flicker. Sakura smiled then turned to Naruto and said, "I knew he'd find a way to see us off."

Naruto smiled and said, "Yeah, he might be a teme, but he's a good teme."

Sakura smiled as well then said, "Yeah…he is."

After they had walked a little farther, Naruto turned to Sakura and energetically said, "Hey Sakura-chan! Did I ever tell you about the time me and Pervy Sage went to this weird village in the Land of Whirlpools?"

Sakura wore a soft smile and said, "Nope!" then locked her arm around his to pull him closer and said, "But you can tell me all about it now." while wearing a joyful smile.

Naruto's eyes lit up as he said, "Awesome!" He used his arm to bring her a little closer as well, then energetically started telling his story. "So we had to go to this weird village to collect some supplies. Of course, Pervy Sage tried to do some "research" while we were there…"

Shikamaru gave Naruto a sideways glance then cocked his head back in annoyance after realizing that he'd probably have to listen to these stories all the way to the Sand. On top of that, he'd probably have to deal with their googly eyes and kisses the whole way too... He let out a small sigh since he knew it'd be annoying, but at least the two were finally together and happy... He let out another small sigh then propped a cigar in his mouth and lit it with a small smile. _'This is gonna be such a drag…'_

END

* * *

**YATTA!** We did it, people! We got to the end of this story! A **HUUUUUGGGEEE** thanks to everyone who read this story, and a _**very special **_thanks to those of you who reviewed and/or PM'd me throughout the process! I really appreciate all of the support and, in the future, I may even do individual acknowledgments at the start of each chapter to show my appreciation!

As I said before, school really kept me from completing this when I wanted to. I think in the future I may do one-shots when I'm busier, then write full-length stories on my own time before releasing them. That seems like a good way to go about it. I've already got some ideas for one-shots and full-length stories so keep following me to make sure you're notified as soon as I drop a story. I might take a short break since I just finished two pretty lengthy stories back to back, but it's about to be winter break so I should have some free time. Who knows, maybe I'll feel like writing one of the one-shots I've been thinking about...

In any case, I'll see you guys soon!

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_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


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